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A5162
ASSEMBLY, No. 5162
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 1, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� LUANNE M. PETERPAUL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman� ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblyman� ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Sampson and Assemblywoman Park
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
establishing �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� in New Jersey and
supplementing Title 36 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� The month of June of each
year is designated as �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� in the State of New Jersey to
recognize all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including, but not limited to,
those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex,
asexual, nonbinary, and any other gender identity or sexual orientation that
letters and words cannot yet fully describe.
���� 2.� The Governor is requested
to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and citizens of
the State to observe �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� with appropriate activities and
programs.
���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� Since January 2025, several
federal executive orders have been signed aiming to end diversity, equity, and
inclusion programs within the federal government.� Subsequently, several
federal agencies have taken actions to comply with the executive orders, including
the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has ordered a pause of all events
related to several special observances.� These special observances include
Martin Luther King, Jr.�s Birthday, Black History Month, Women�s History Month,
Holocaust Remembrance Day, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month,
Pride Month, Juneteenth, Women�s Equality Day, National Hispanic Heritage
Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American
Indian Heritage Month.
���� These federal executive orders
have also resulted in the removal of certain terms related to gender identity.�
The removal is evidenced through actions taken by the federal government, such
as updated forms replacing the term �gender� with �sex,� websites related to
diversity, equity, and inclusion being shut down, and health resources for
transgender individuals being taken down from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention�s website.� In addition, since the Stonewall National Monument
is funded by the National Park Service, the monument�s website removed any
references to transgender or queer individuals.� Federally funded research
projects have also been required to pause while staff at the National Science
Foundation search the research projects for dozens of words that could violate
the executive orders, including �women,� �disability,� �bias,� �status,� �trauma,�
�Black,� �Hispanic,� �socioeconomic,� �ethnicity,� and �systemic.�
���� The State of New Jersey
currently celebrates commemorative days and months including, but not limited
to, Black History Month, Women�s History Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day,
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Juneteenth, Women�s Equality Day, Hispanic
Heritage Month, and Disability Employment Awareness Month.� It is appropriate
for the State of New Jersey to acknowledge the importance of promoting the
principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion by additionally commemorating
�LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.�
���� Therefore, this bill
designates the month of June of each year as �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� in New
Jersey.� LGBTQIA+ individuals have historically been persecuted by
discriminatory laws and policies that denied access to rights, programs,
benefits, and services otherwise guaranteed to the general population.�
Commemorating �LGBTQIA+ Pride Month� is imperative to acknowledge the
contributions LGBTQIA+ individuals, including those who identify as transgender
or queer, have made and continue to make to strengthen the fabric of American
society, as well as to celebrate authenticity, acceptance, inclusion, and love.