Friday, April 14, 2017

NEW JERSEY PRIDE FESTIVAL WILL NOT BE IN MAPLEWOOD

From New Jersey Pride: 

As you may have heard, a National LGBTQ March on 
Washington has been announced 
for Sunday, June 11, 2017, the 
very same day the North Jersey 
Pride Festival would normally 
have been held in Maplewood.

After much consideration, reviewing the options, and 
getting feedback from community members, we have decided 
not to hold our festival as previously scheduled, as we do
not want anyone to have to choose between these two events.

Moreover, things have changed for our community since the 
inauguration. The current administration's executive orders 
have been chipping away at hard-won LGBTQ rights;
the latest moves to undermine LGBTQ equality include an executive 
order revoking key components of a previous order by President 
Obama banning federal contractors from discriminating against 
LGTBQ employees and an announcement that the U.S. Census 
will be dropping sexual orientation and gender identity from 
the annual survey and 2020 report, so that LGBTQ members 
will no longer have visibility as a unique group. 
 
There are sadly many more such examples, including the choice 
of cabinet members by the current administration, most of whom 
have a deplorable record on LGBTQ rights.

Therefore, we feel that what our community most needs now is 
to stand together in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of other 
supporters on the streets of the nation’s capitol, making ourselves 
visible, demonstrating our unity, and letting our lawmakers know 
we will not give up our rights without a fight.

To that end, we are taking this year’s Pride on the road. NJP will 
be organizing busing down to D.C. for the March as well as a 
group rate at a local hotel for those who want to stay over 
Saturday night. All are invited to march with NJP as a group;
we will have our own banner and will also be hosting a fun 
sign-making party prior to the march. Please send us a note
(mailto:events@northjerseypride.org to let us know you are 
interested in joining us and whether you would like a seat on
the bus, a hotel room or both.