LGBTQ community members to 'celebrate who we are' with equality, love and healing in NJ

New Jersey's LGBTQ+ Pride parade and festival isn't happening this year. But there is still be plenty of equality, love and healing to be found on the calendar this month.

Event producers Jersey Pride announced in September that their 30th annual Asbury Park parade and celebration — canceled in 2021 and then planned for Sunday, Oct. 10 — has been postponed until June 5, 2022, due to COVID-19 concerns.

But with National Coming Out Day set to be commemorated on Monday, Oct. 11, a number of events scheduled for next weekend in Asbury Park and beyond for the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and its allies are proceeding as planned.

“We have gone far too long without coming together as a community and celebrating our unique selves," said Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Asbury Park-based education and advocacy organization Garden State Equality. "We know that we can pull off these events in a safe and healthy way. We must continue to push forward while ensuring that everyone involved is participating in the proper protocols to ensure a healthy event."

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Resources:

https://www.gardenstateequality.org/

Garden State Equality lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities through education and advocacy to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally. We work tirelessly to ensure the communities we serve experience lived equality.

Garden State Equality is the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey, with over 150,000 members.

https://www.centerffs.org/our-...ections/kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is a community-based Gay-Straight Alliance. Kaleidoscope offers monthly student-led meetings in a safe, supportive environment for LGBTQ+ and allied teens to gather, socialize, organize, and help each other.

https://www.lambdalegal.org/states-regions/new-jersey

Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.