How To Celebrate June Pride Month In Edison, Metuchen

EDISON, NJ — Pride Month starts Thursday and continues through June, with several ways in Edison and Metuchen to participate in the celebration of LGBTQ culture, rights and identity.

In Edison, Mayor Sam Joshi and the Council will be hosting a ceremony and Pride flag-raising ceremony Thursday at 2 p.m. outside the municipal complex.

On Saturday in Metuchen, prepare to be swept away by performances from the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus - NJGMC, who have garnered accolades and captivated audiences far and wide. NJGMC inspires pride, empowerment, equality, and acceptance to all through extraordinary music and actions. The event will be held downtown from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

This will be followed by Pride Karaoke from 8 p.m. to 10 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 are packed with pride parades, parties, workshops, symposiums and concerts across the nation and around the world.

In New Jersey, about 4.1 percent of the population identifies as LGBTQ, according to the Movement Advance Project, which tracks legislation targets. They represent 4 percent of New Jersey’s workforce.

The organization gives New Jersey 39.25 points out of a possible 43.5 points.

Pride Month 2023 occurs amid a historic surge in bills targeting LGBTQ rights, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Nearly 500 pieces of legislation nationwide have been filed in state legislatures this year, according to the ACLU tracking.

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