{"id":930995,"date":"2025-03-13T07:29:09","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T11:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?p=930995"},"modified":"2025-03-19T11:07:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T15:07:19","slug":"for-newark-lgbtq-leaders-linking-environmental-justice-and-queer-liberation-movements-is-the-key-to-healthy-communities-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/newark-lgbtq-leaders-linking-environmental-justice-and-queer-liberation-movements-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"For Newark LGBTQ Leaders, Linking Environmental Justice and Queer Liberation Movements is the Key to Healthy Communities \u2013 Here’s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newark, New Jersey LGBTQ activists are organizing to heal their city from redlining \u2013 the systematic denial of services, like mortgages, insurance, and other financial services, often based on race or ethnicity \u2013 and environmental discrimination to build a healthy, clean, and affordable place where bodily autonomy is never in question.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These local leaders understand the convergence between environmental justice and queer liberation and seek to educate others on how queer-centered action unlocks freedoms and possibilities for all.<\/p>\n

The City of Newark, home to state schools Rutgers University and a State University of New Jersey campus, has a majority Black, Brown, immigrant, LGBTQ and low-income population. <\/span><\/p>\n

This population has experienced <\/span>escalation in raids<\/span><\/a> (some deemed illegal by residents and <\/span>the city\u2019s mayor<\/span><\/a>) by <\/span>U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE), but <\/span>also bears the ongoing burden of neighboring toxic waste facilities including three power plants, with a fourth power plant looming over residents of the 26 sq mi city. <\/span><\/p>\n

Local activists are scheduled to host a protest against the backup power plant March 13 at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission at 10:30 a.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

From a national perspective, The Trump Administration has slashed well-established environmental justice policies. The Administration also instructed agencies to eliminate environmental justice-related roles in tandem with the reversal of diversity, equity and inclusion policy, <\/span>AP News<\/span><\/a> reported.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The GLAAD Media Institute<\/a> \u2013 GLAAD’s training, research, and consulting division of the organization \u2013 traveled to Newark to discuss with local leaders their top community priorities for year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right now, the environment and its impact on quality of life is their main concern. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
1939 redlining map of Newark (outlined in white) from the organization “Mapping Inequality”; Red means “hazardous,” while yellow means in “decline<\/a>.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFighting for LGBTQ rights in Newark in terms of environmental justice, in terms of housing justice, it makes a lot of sense to me because we are the communities that have been segregated to one of the last affordable places to live in the country.\u201d JV Valladolid<\/strong>, <\/span>environmental justice organizer for Ironbound Community Corporation <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately we are also communities that are living in the historical lines of redlining, which means a lot of toxic sites have been placed right in our neighborhoods,\u201d Valladolid continued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Historically, redlining has resulted the divesting of neighborhoods often populated by low-income communities by coloring out “dangerous-to-invest-in” areas in red. While the practice is <\/span>outlawed<\/span><\/a> today, redlining\u2019s effects linger in major cities throughout the country. Newark is one of those cities, and holds the great burden of holding the entire state on its shoulders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Valladolid aims to relieve that tension with a variety of coalition partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A post shared by GLAAD (@glaad)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n