How To Celebrate June Pride Month In Berkeley

BERKELEY, NJ — Pride Month starts Saturday and continues through June, with several ways in Berkeley to participate in the celebration of LGBTQ culture, rights and identity.

Among them is Toms River Pride, which is held June 15 on Washington Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All are invited and there will be food, vendors, performances and all sorts of festivities.

Other events include:

• Seaside Pride: June 21 and 22. Find more here.
• Paint Your Pride For Teens: Berkeley Branch Library, June 6, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Pride In The Park: Manahawkin Lake Park, June 26, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Concert with the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus: Ocean County Library Toms River Branch, June 29, 2 p.m.

Pride Month occurs during June in deference to the Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point in the struggle for equality among people who identify as LGBTQ. New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. Such raids were common, but patrons fought back, resulting in days of violent clashes across Greenwich Village.

The observance started as Gay Pride Day on the last Sunday in June, but soon grew to the point that June calendars around the world are packed with Pride parades, parties, workshops, symposiums and concerts.

In New Jersey, about 4.1 percent of the population — or 343,000 people — identify as LGBTQ, according to the Movement Advance Project, which tracks LGBTQ-targeted legislation. They represent 4 percent of New Jersey’s workforce, or 205,000 people.

The organization gives New Jersey 39.25 points out of a possible 44.5 points. Our state received 17.5 points out of a possible 21.5 for sexual orientation policy and 21.75 points out of a possible 23 for gender identity policy. The overall ranking was graded “high.”

Pride Month 2024 occurs amid a historic surge in bills targeting LGBTQ rights, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Over the last few years, states have advanced a record number of bills attacking LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth, the civil rights group said.

The ACLU said that while more states every year are passing laws to protect LGBTQ people, others advance bills that target transgender people, limit local protections and allow the use of religion to discriminate.

Hundreds of pieces of legislation nationwide have been filed in state legislatures this year, according to the ACLU tracking.

Several have been introduced in New Jersey, including school sports bans and curriculum censorship bills, but only the “Children Innocence Protection Act” has advanced to committee.

However, this bill, regarding teaching sex education under certain circumstances in schools, was referred to the Assembly Education Committee on Jan. 9 of this year and has made no movement since.