Garden State Equality is celebrating 20 years of fighting for legal equality and has acquired a new headquarters.
Centrally located in a city with deep LGBTQ+ roots, this new 9,000-sq.-ft. space in Asbury Park will be a hub for youth programs, community services, and its mission to create safe, inclusive schools statewide. The building will allow the organization to provide resources, trainings, and safe spaces for the community like never before. It will also retain some of its unique historic features while becoming a modern space for learning and resilience.
Looking ahead, Garden State Equality is preparing to launch a capital campaign next month to fund key renovations and program expansions. As part of this, the organization is inviting the community to help shape its future by sponsoring areas within the building, from training rooms to its youth center.
Garden State Equality will host a preview party on Oct. 9th to coincide with the kickoff of Equality in Motion (formerly the Equality Walk), the group’s largest annual grassroots fundraiser. Community members are encouraged to attend for an early look at the space and to celebrate the journey ahead!
“As we celebrate our 20th year, the acquisition of this historic building marks a pivotal moment for Garden State Equality and the LGBTQ+ community in New Jersey. This space will not only be a safe haven for our youth but also the epicenter of our statewide work to ensure every school is inclusive, affirming, and trauma-informed,” Executive Director Christian Fuscarino (he/him), said. “The success of our childhood resiliency programs, which are deeply rooted in cities like Newark, Asbury Park, Trenton, and Camden, underscores the importance of addressing trauma through a community-centered approach. Having a space as expansive as the impact of our work is critical to ensuring that every voice in our community has a seat at the table — both literally and figuratively.”
“40% of LGBTQ youth across the country are houseless and experience the highest rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences. We know that when youth feel like they matter, and see themselves in the community around them, it saves lives. This building will bring together youth from all over the state, to embrace their identities, and celebrate the identities of others through building community and programming,” Deputy Director Brielle Winslow-Majette (she/her), said. “For our youth, it will be a place to feel seen, valued, and empowered. It represents a future where LGBTQ+ young people in New Jersey know they have a community standing with them, ready to help them succeed. Our youth are our future, and as we build a future of inclusion and acceptance, we must start with a place they can call their home.”
“Our acquisition of this Asbury Park landmark for our permanent home is the culmination of a strategic growth plan and fiscal discipline,” Thomas Prol (he/him), a founding director listed on Garden State Equality’s original corporate charter and who continues to be actively involved in the group’s executive leadership, said. “As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, this new headquarters allows Garden State Equality to enhance its education and advocacy work on behalf of the LGBTQ community as well as expand services to address new issues and priorities.”
Prol’s law office, Sills Cummis & Gross in Newark, provided pro bono legal services for the building acquisition transaction through lead attorney Ivette Alvarado, Esq.
