KaeLyn Rich

Hi, I'm KaeLyn Rich. Welcome to my profile!

KaeLyn Rich is an queer feminist, a direct action organizer, a nonprofit lifer, a word wrangler, and a sexuality educator. She has community organizing experience that dates back to stuffing folders for her parents’ union meetings. She is an adoptee immigrant from South Korea, a vegan foodie, and a persistent devotee of the Oxford comma. She lives in Rochester, NY with her spouse and their house full of furkids: a xenophobic cat, two bossy bunnies, and two sassy guinea pigs. KaeLyn is the director of the Genesee Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, where she oversees the advocacy work and operations of an office serving eight counties of Upstate and Western NY. She joined the Genesee Valley Chapter board of directors in 2008 and came on staff in 2011. KaeLyn is also a sexuality and LGBTQ educator for Sex Discussed Here. She co-presents funny, smart, honest lectures, trainings and programs about sexual health and responsible intimacy, safer sex, LGBTQ issues and more at colleges and universities across the United States. KaeLyn’s writing has been featured on Feministe, Sex. Justice. Change., and other publications. She is a contributing editor forAutostraddle and is the co-founder/editor of Queer Family Matters. Her creative work was showcased at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference as part of the 2004 Creative Writing Series. In 2012, KaeLyn was co-editor of the inaugural edition of theImageOutWrite Literary Journal, a collection of writing by and about LGBTQ authors. She penned a monthly queer women’s health column, The Vagina Dialogues, in the Empty Closet from 2007-2010. Formerly, KaeLyn was the community affairs coordinator at Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region (currently known as Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York), where she was responsible for legislative advocacy, government relations, coalition building and the regional campus organizing program. She has also worked at Services to Aid Families, a rape crisis/domestic violence program in Oswego, NY. KaeLyn values community, volunteerism, and giving back. She is currently a founding board member and co-president of Connect & Breathe, a taboo-breaking after-abortion talkline.  She is also a board member of ImageOut: the Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival where she serves on various committees and watches lots of films. She has previously served on the board of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York and the Greater Rochester Chapter of the National Organization for Women. KaeLyn holds B.A. degrees in women’s studies and English from SUNY College at Oswego and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from SUNY College at Brockport. She is currently finishing a M.A.L.S. degree at SUNY College at Brockport with an emphasis on feminist intersectionality in the nonprofit sector. She is a 2011 National Council for Research on Women (currently known as Re:Gender) young professional fellow in their “Building the Next Generation of Women in the Nonprofit Sector” fellowship program.  

Contributing Editor at Autostraddle

August 2014 - Present | Freelance, Remote

Genesee Valley Chapter Director at New York Civil Liberties Union

January 2011 - Present | Rochester, NY

Professional Speaker & Sexuality Educator at Sex Discussed Here!

October 2010 - Present | Albany, NY (travel nationwide)

Community Affairs Coordinator at Planned Parenthood of Western & Central NY

December 2006 - January 2011 | Rochester, NY

Vox Recruiter & Liaison at Planned Parenthood of Central and Western NY

December 2005 - December 2006 | Syracuse, NY

Shelter Assistant and Sexual Assault Advocate at Services to Aid Families

November 2005 - November 2006 | Oswego, NY

SUNY College at Brockport

2014 – 2015

MALS with Women & Gender Studies Focus

SUNY College at Brockport

2008 – 2009

Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration

SUNY College at Oswego

2001 – 2005

Dual B.A. in Women's Studies and Creative Writing

Social justice, dystopian fiction, community organizing, strategic planning, empowering leadership, theatre