Colorful Crosswalk Murals Cover Jersey City Celebrating Pride

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Hudson Pride and the Jersey City LGBTQ+ Pride Festival teamed up this month to launch Pride crosswalk murals painted throughout the city to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pride in Jersey City.

Unlike other Pride crosswalks, crosswalks in Jersey City, the most diverse city in the nation, will use the progress pride flag colors that incorporate the representation of transgender pride and LGBTQ+ people of color. The progress pride flag was already painted on the crosswalk across from City Hall.

“I’m proud that Jersey City has become a national model for promoting equality and these crosswalks are a visible way to show we are an inclusive and welcoming community for all of our diverse populations,” said Mayor Fulop. “Ahead of the annual Jersey City Pride event - one of the largest in the Northeast - we painted three Pride crosswalks located within our busiest transportation hubs in the Heights, Downtown, and Bergen-Lafayette.”

Hudson Pride is also collaborating with Jersey City on a documentary to capture the evolution of Pride and the advancement of LGBTQ+ in Jersey City over the past two decades. The documentary will include interviews of prominent LGBTQ+ leaders/pioneers, a compilation of historical events, records, and films. The documentary is expected to be released later this year, with final filming taking place at the annual Pride celebration in Jersey City on August 21, 2021.

“These rainbow crosswalks are not only symbolic of our LGBTQ+ community here in Jersey City, but also a visual demonstration of the inclusive attitudes of our city. For many of us, this is much more than simply a place to cross the street. It is a place that proudly says we all belong here,” Elizabeth Schedl, Executive Director of the Hudson Pride Center.

As the most diverse city in the nation, Jersey City employees are also provided free training to protect against employment discrimination, with some lessons focusing specifically on sexual orientation or gender identity confirmation. The courses are one of the many efforts provided by the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Taskforce, which includes City employees: Directors Jeana Abuan and Tanya Marione and Detective Lorraine Mapps and, Community Liaisons: Elizabeth Schedl (Hudson Pride Center), David Rosen (Hudson Pride Center), and Gerald Lyons (Professor/BOE Trustee).

The annual Jersey City Pride Festival draws thousands of people from all over the region. This year, the event will take place on August 21, 2021 along Newark Avenue between Grove and Erie Streets. For more information please visit jerseycitypride.com/.