Bustling queer organization rises in Barnegat in shadow of town's LGBTQ challenges
In a town where the then-mayor made national headlines when he called the LGBTQ rights movement "an affront to almighty God" in 2019, resident Carrie Diona now sees plenty of hope for Barnegat's queer community.
Diona is the founder of Barnegat Pride, a certified nonprofit which debuted earlier this year. The group holds monthly meetings and has its first major fundraiser, as well as a photoshoot with the national NOH8 Campaign, coming up.
Barnegat Pride draws members from Ocean Gate to Little Egg Harbor and beyond and is open to all. It has partnered with groups like the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce, Barnegat Rotary, Atlantic County Queer Association, Garden State Equality and more. It welcomes members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as allies.
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"What I noticed in Barnegat and beyond is there are no resources or venues, any type of support for the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies," she said. "So I did start that in Barnegat because I've always been very committed to helping and wanting to serve the community. It's always been my passion to promote services and the right thing for our community."
That commitment was heightened in 2019 when Mayor Alfonso Cirulli, who now serves as deputy mayor on the Township Committee, launched a campaign to fight a New Jersey law that required schools to teach about the political, economic and social contributions of people with disabilities or who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. He cited arguments of parental rights.
"We've crossed over the line into absurdity," Cirulli said at the time. "Now is the time for the righteous to stand up for their rights."
In response, Diona and supporters participated in a silent protest outside a township committee meeting, then "spoke our piece on why we're not an affront to God," she said.
Earlier this year, the Barnegat Board of Education eliminated a policy on transgender and gender nonconforming students. Known as Policy 5756, it guides school staff on interacting with transgender youth and advises them to accept and support a student's assertion of their gender identity. It joined more than a dozen districts across the state that eliminated the policy.
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That's all the more reason Diona says Barnegat Pride is needed, so that LGBTQ+ youth, as well as adults, have a place they know they will find acceptance, community and information about available resources. Diona cited increased suicide and mental health risks among LGBTQ+ youth as evidence of the need for support.
Barnegat Pride's monthly meetings are typically held on the 13th of the month, at the Barnegat Township Rec Center. Meetings are open to all. Diona says meetings are there both for fun and support. September's has Pictionary and refreshments on the agenda.
In the future, Diona says, she hopes to find a permanent home of its own for Barnegat Pride, where teens can gather after school and both youth and adults can find community, an outlet and resources.
Barnegat Pride
Barnegat Pride boosts hundreds of members, Diona said.
And more crucially, she says, is the support it receives from the community.
The group is holding its first major fundraiser, Barnegat Pride Night Out Dinner and Gift Fundraiser, from 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Waretown firehouse.
Diona says more than 75 local businesses have made donations to the evening's gift raffle, illustrating the support of the local area. Prizes include a gift certificate to The Gables Historic Inn and Restaurant on LBI, golf packages and much more.
"The support is so here in our community, and present and valid," she said.
The fundraiser will be hosted by Mr. Microphone and feature dinner, the gift raffle and drag performances. Four queens will perform, including Desireé Moonshine, a member of Barnegat Pride. The event features catering by Tara's Table, a local woman-owned new business.
NOH8 fundraiser
Before the fundraiser, Barnegat Pride is hosting a photo shoot with the NOH8 Campaign on Monday, Sept. 16. Known for its photos of duct-taped mouths with NOH8 tattoos, the organization fights against hatred in many forms. Funds raised "will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for marriage and human equality as well as anti-discrimination and anti-bullying," the group said.
NOH8 co-founder Adam Bouska will be on hand to take photographs of participants in the group's signature style.
To take part, wear a white shirt and stop by the Barnegat Township Recreation Center between 6 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 16. No reservations are needed. Photos are $40 per person or $25 per person in a couple or group photo. Cash and credit cards are accepted. You will receive an edited digital version of your photo.
Support of law enforcement
At the photo shoot, Diona says she will be posing for a photo with a member of the Barnegat Police Department, illustrating the close ties between local law enforcement and the LGBTQ community.
They aim to "show the solidarity between the LGBTQIA community and our police officers, because it's very important to show that, especially to the world today, where everybody is either anti-police or anti-gay," Diona said. "No, we should be for each other. So we are posing together. We got the okay from the chief of police, and we'll be posing together to make that statement. I'll be holding a rainbow flag. He'll be holding the police flag."
Diona says ties with the Ocean Township Police Department and Waretown fire department also are close.
Local law enforcement has been very supportive of Barnegat Pride and helps members feel safe, she said, whether at events or the monthly social gatherings.
Law enforcement has been "fabulously supportive in ways I never imagined," Diona said.
In 2019, a day after Cirulli's remarks, then-Barnegat Police Chief Keith Germain affirmed his department's promise to protect the rights of all, adding "the Barnegat Police Department is an agency committed to our core values which include fairness, empathy and respect."
Diona said that she is confident the support and changes she has seen from community businesses and law enforcement will one day extend to the Township Committee and Board of Education.
"We don't have that connection, but with Barnegat Pride we will break through, and we will hopefully make that connection," she said.
For more information about the fundraiser, photoshoot or Barnegat Pride's upcoming meetings, email i[email protected] or visit barnegatpride.com.
Contributing: Staff writer Amanda Oglesby; Asbury Park Press archives
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Barnegat Pride offers drag fundraiser, NOH8 photoshoot