Morris County – EDGE New Jersey, Morris County’s first and only Pride Center, is saddened to
learn that the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown has been added to the growing list of
Morris County entities who have recently experienced acts of hate targeted at LGBTQ+
communities. The Church had their sign vandalized just days after putting up their display of
rainbow flags in recognition of June’s Pride Month. ‘The Church of the Redeemer has
historically been at the forefront of responding to oppressed and marginalized communities
as they offered space for our program, the Eric Johnson House, a facility for homeless people
living with HIV at the start of the AIDS crisis in the early 1990’s” said Laurie Litt, Chief
Executive Officer of EDGE New Jersey.
Earlier in the month, EDGE spoke out publicly about the harmful and dangerous impact of the
Hanover School Board’s decision to implement a policy regarding forced outings of students’
gender identity and sexual orientation. “Two of the top reasons children who are part of the
LGBTQ+ community consider suicide are family rejection and bullying. Policies like that of the
Hanover School Board create an atmosphere for both” said Joann McEniry, Chief Operating
Officer of EDGE New Jersey. Additionally, news headlines were made as a Roxbury, NJ school
librarian faced hate speech and verbal attacks from parents for selecting a sex education and
gender identity book titled “Gender Queer” despite the book being previously approved by
the Board of Education. EDGE supports making queer literature available to the community
and carries the book “Gender Queer” along with many other titles at their Callendar Family
Library located inside their Denville Pride Center.
EDGE New Jersey continues to fight back against oppression from those who seek to erase
and silence queer people. During the tumultuous time our community is living in, our center
will not only remain open to all, but will stand out, loud, and proud against any and all acts of
hate. You are invited to celebrate the lives of queer people and stand alongside EDGE at the
Morris County Pride Festival scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at the County
College of Morris in Randolph, NJ. For more information visit www.edgenj.org