Gov Murphy To Headline Third Annual Equality Ball Event At The Asbury & Asbury Lanes
Garden State Equality Event Coincides With Nonprofit’s 15th Anniversary
Governor Phil Murphy will be the featured guest speaker during tonight’s Third Annual Equality Ball, Garden State Equality [GSE] officials have confirmed.
The Equality Ball is Garden State Equality’s largest fundraiser of the year, held in support of three primary community programs – to create safe and affirming schools, expand LGBTQ-affirming healthcare, and protect LGBTQ older adults.
The sold-out event, being held at Asbury Lanes, marks the LGBTQ support nonprofit’s 15th Anniversary and is being held on the eve of the noon to 7 pm Jersey Pride event on Sunday. Since its founding, the GSE has been instrumental in the passage of 222 pro-LGBTQ laws.
“I’m thrilled that Gov Murphy will once again be attending The Equality Ball to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Garden State Equality,” Executive Director Christian Fuscarino said “In looking at all the historic work we’ve accomplished together—LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, the Babs Siperstein Law, and the first-in-the-nation Transgender Equality Task Force—it’s clear that New Jersey’s LGBTQ community has no better friend and ally than Gov Murphy.”
Since Murphy took office in January 2018, New Jersey has passed numerous ground-breaking legal protections for the LGBTQ community, Fuscarino said. Most recently, Murphy announced his administration would allow transgender troops to serve openly in the New Jersey National Guard in defiance of the Trump administration’s military ban.
Murphy will be joined in the audience by a number of elected officials, including Congressman Frank Pallone Jr, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, Senator Troy Singleton, Senator Declan O’Scanlan, as well as county and municipal representatives.
This year, PSEG receives the organization’s Corporate Responsibility Award for their investments in the LGBTQ community and Garden State Equality’s ground-breaking safe schools’ Teach & Affirm program, which reached over 400,000 students in New Jersey public schools in 2018.
Because of PSEG’s support last year, Garden State Equality was able to hire a second Safe Schools Coordinator and, through additional funding this year, will allow Garden State Equality to produce more hires to develop LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, which will be test piloted in select New Jersey public schools in the fall of 2019.
“PSEG’s commitment to LGBTQ youth has allowed Garden State Eitsquality’s Teach & Affirm program to flourish beyond what we ever imagined,” said Ashley Chiappano, Safe Schools & Community Education Manager for Garden State Equality. “For years, PEquality’sSEG has invested directly in the LGBTQ community and supported inclusive, affirming, and safe schools. PSEG is a leader in the energy field on issues of equality, and they prove that time and time again by lifting up their LGBTQ employees and putting corporate diversity at the forefront of their work.”
During the event, which kicks off Jersey Pride Weekend as well as Pride Month, Garden State Equality will honor several community members for their advocacy and contributions to equality in New Jersey.
Garden State Equality will recognize the 16-year-old student from Bergen Arts & Science Charter School for her bravery and courage in standing up against student censorship and in support of LGBTQ-affirming schools. The teen’s LGBTQ pride rainbow mural was recently erased after the school’s landlord, Holy Trinity Church, ordered the school to remove it.
Also being honored are:
Sgt. Major Jennifer Marie Long will receive the Inaugural Babs Siperstein Advocate Award for her relentless advocacy in support of transgender equality in New Jersey and fierce opposition to the Trump-Pence administration’s discriminatory and unconstitutional ban on transgender service members in the military. Governor Phil Murphy will present the award.
Luisa Paster & Harriet Bernstein, who were pivotal in the fight for marriage equality, will receive the Garden State Courage Award for their fearlessness in standing up against discrimination in pursuit of the freedom to marry and their continued advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ older adults.
La’Nae Grant will receive the Community Advocate Award for her ground-breaking work to secure transgender healthcare protections for the city employees of East Orange and her continued advocacy for LGBTQ healthcare needs with RWJ Somerset’s PROUD Family Health Center.
Eli Pawlika, a youth hockey player and fourteen-year-old high school freshman, will receive the Youth Empowerment Award for promoting transgender equality, creating safe schools, and advocating for LGBTQ-inclusive youth sports. The New Jersey Devils will present the award.
The Equality Ball is presented by platinum sponsors iStar, Salt Hotels, The Asbury Lanes, and Asbury Ocean Club.
“Garden State Equality moved its headquarters to Asbury Park so we could be closer and more accessible to community members, but we never anticipated the outpouring of love and support from community partners like Salt Hotels when we got here,” Fuscarino said. “Because of their generosity year-after-year to host events such as The Equality Ball, Garden State Equality is stronger, more financially sound, and well-positioned to continue our critical policy and program work into the future.”
And while tickets are no longer available for the main event, Garden State Equality is inviting supporters and the public to attend its first-ever Pride Weekend Party, taking place immediately after The Equality Ball at The Asbury Hotel, located at 210 Fifth Ave. The official after-party event begins at 10:00 pm. Tickets are $35, and a cash bar will be available. Dress is festive attire. Tickets are available for purchase at GardenStateEquality.org/prideparty.
“For Salt Hotels, iStar, Asbury Lanes, and Asbury Ocean Club, it is truly an honor to support the remarkable work of Garden State Equality,” said David Bowd, owner of Salt Hotels. “As members of the Asbury Park community, it’s also our responsibility as good citizens. For the third year in a row, we’ve hosted The Equality Ball and this year it’s at no cost to Garden State Equality—which means every dollar raised will be invested directly into New Jersey’s LGBTQ community. We are thrilled that pro-equality businesses throughout the state stepped up to make this year’s event the highest-earning in Garden State Equality’s history.”
For all you need to know about the noon to 7 pm Jersey Pride event, click here.
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