Garden State Equality

Garden State Equality is a comprehensive LGBTQ+ advocacy organization based in Asbury Park, NJ, dedicated to advancing civil rights and equality through strategic advocacy, policy work, and community education. As the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey with over 150,000 members, Garden State Equality delivers specialized services designed to address the most pressing needs of diverse LGBTQ+ communities across the state and beyond. The organization provides professional advocacy and policy development services focused on creating safe environments for LGBTQ+ youth, improving health services that meet the specific needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, and ensuring respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ seniors. Beyond traditional advocacy work, Garden State Equality offers comprehensive training programs that equip community leaders and organizations with the knowledge and tools needed to advance equality. Since its establishment in 2004, the organization has become one of the most successful statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the nation. All service delivery is informed by principles of racial, economic, and disability justice, ensuring that the organization's work addresses the intersecting challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals from marginalized communities. Garden State Equality actively supports New Jersey's broader activist community by bringing an LGBTQ+ lens to shared struggles for justice and equity. As a member of the Equality Federation, the organization operates within a national network of LGBTQ+ civil rights advocates, strengthening its capacity to create meaningful change at both state and national levels.