{"id":927177,"date":"2025-01-27T11:30:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?p=927177"},"modified":"2025-01-31T13:44:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T18:44:06","slug":"new-jersey-lgbtq-advocates-from-garden-state-equality-say-theyll-continue-to-pushback-with-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/new-jersey-lgbtq-advocates-from-garden-state-equality-say-theyll-continue-to-pushback-with-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey LGBTQ Advocates from Garden State Equality Say They’ll Continue to Pushback with Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"

LGBTQ activists in New Jersey say they\u2019re fortunate to live in New Jersey as the new administration kicks-off its term by attacking the transgender community and diversity initiatives. Advocates at Garden State Equality say New Jersey sets a standard for legal equality that can inspire states throughout the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of its education and advocacy \u201cGoing Local\u201d programming across the country, the <\/span>GLAAD Media Institute<\/span><\/a> (GMI) \u2013 GLAAD\u2019s training, research and consulting division \u2013 convened meetings with local leaders and community advocates at Garden State Equality and throughout the nation. Attendees who complete a program or session with the GLAAD Media Institute are immediately deemed GLAAD Media Institute Alumni, who are equipped to maximize community impact by leveraging their own story for culture change.<\/span><\/p>\n

The state is known for its tough pro-equality laws like New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), which is considered one of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination laws in the country. Yet, new laws in the state legislature help combat a rise of LGBTQ disinformation and hate speech, straight out of Project 2025. The anti-LGBTQ hate machine has affected dozens of Jersey school board’s policies on book bans, critical race theory, and sex education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Main
Main Street, home to Garden State Equality Headquarters; photo by Lana Leonard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since Garden State Equality\u2019s founding in 2004, over \u201c230 LGBTQ civil rights laws\u201d have been enacted at the state, county, and local levels. According to the organization\u2019s <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>, that\u2019s \u201cmore laws in less time than in any other state in American history.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a federal level, President Trump began his second term signing executive orders to dispute the fact that transgender and gender diverse people exist. On Trump\u2019s first days in office he signed an executive order titled <\/span>Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government<\/span><\/i><\/a>. The order is used to delegitimize trans truth, history, and science, which promptly raised concerns over a federal ban of the \u201cx\u201d gender marker for people of nonbinary, trans or gender nonconforming experience in the United States.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More: Trump Accountabilirty Tracker 2025<\/a>, Fact Sheet for Reporters \u2013 Term to Avoid: \u201cTransgenderism\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n

\u201cAs of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,\u201d President Trump incorrectly said upon signing the order.<\/span><\/p>\n

Garden State Equality says they\u2019re ready to resist these efforts by the current administration, and continue to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, while uplifting best practices for LGBTQ youth and adult community members as they have within their state government, says advocates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want our youth to understand that they don\u2019t just live in a bubble here in New Jersey, that the work that they are doing to be activists here in our state is going to influence other states and other students across the nation,\u201d Natalie Hernandez\u00a0 told GLAAD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Natalie
Natalie Hernandez, camp director and project manager & trainer; Screenshot by Lana Leonard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hernandez is the Camp Director of Garden State Equality\u2019s Changemakers Youth Leadership summer program. Empowering youth leaders helps inform the work of other departments and so forth, it\u2019s a collaborative effort to fight for legal equality for the state organization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hime Sarah Thomas, project manager and trainer with the Education and Youth Development Department, grew up in a queer family who introduced Thomas to Garden State Equality through the Changemakers Youth Leadership summer program. Thomas works to encourage youth to become \u201cchangemakers\u201d by giving them an outlet to express their frustrations, and amplify their voices.<\/span><\/p>\n

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@glaad<\/a>LGBTQ advocates on the Jersey Shore at Garden State Equality (GSE) tell the GLAAD Media Institute (GMI) at the start of our “going local” programming that they’re grateful to live in New Jersey, a state where \u201clived and legal equality\u201d can set the standard for the country, advocates say. Those who participate in this programming \u2014 our Telling Your Story curriculum \u2014 are immediately deemed GMI alumni. \u201cWe want our youth to understand that they don\u2019t just live in a bubble here in NJ, that the work that they are doing to be activists here in our state is going to influence other states and other students across the nation,\u201d Natalie Hernandez, GSE project manager, told GLAAD. GSE says that the team is preparing for 2025 by organizing their messaging and continuing to check in on the resiliency and wellness of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people moving into New Jersey from Philadelphia and New York City. \u201cOur world is ever evolving. There are some very legitimate anxieties, and also\u2026 we are really, really fortunate to live here,\u201d Aisling MacDonald \u2014 project manager of GSE’s Training and Trans Resiliency Program \u2014 said.\u266c original sound – glaad<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n