Coming Out Day Celebrated As Morris Co. Police Works To Build LGBTQ Bridges

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — LGBTQ advocates have long felt alienated by law enforcement, whether as a result of previous police mistreatment that resulted in the 1969 Stonewall riots, which sparked an LGBTQ movement aimed at ending years of anti-gay persecution and harassment.

However, in Morris County, local agencies are attempting to change the narrative by increasing outreach and highlighting their own LGBTQ members in order to help bridge the gap with the community.

This month, Morris County law enforcement celebrated National Coming Out Day outside the Morris County Administration and Records Building for the second year in a row.

“Law enforcement exists to protect and serve everyone, regardless of one’s background or individuality. Unfortunately, there have been, and continue to be circumstances where people in certain communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, are hesitant to seek assistance from law enforcement. Events, such as the Morris County National Coming Out Day, are intended to overcome any barriers between the public and law enforcement so that we can provide the best possible service,” Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.

The free community event took place three days before National Coming Out Day, which is observed every Oct. 11. According to the Human Rights Campaign, the day was first recognized in 1987 as a way to promote and support LGBTQ equality under the law.

The event is part of a collaboration between the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, Morris Township Police Department, Morris County Sheriff's Office and Morristown Police Department's LGBTQ+ liaisons.

In an effort for change, the sheriff's office has appointed an LGBTQ liaison and has participated in events such as Morris County Pride and the local New Jersey AIDS Walk in recent years.

Local police departments also sold police patches emblazoned with the rainbow flag for a Pride Month fundraiser in June, raising $1,500 for EDGE NJ.

In recent years, New Jersey has made strides in confronting past homophobic policies. Former Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal apologized for his office's systematic targeting of gay bars between 1933 and 1967.

Read related: Then And Now: Celebrating 30 Years Of LGBTQIA+ Pride In NJ

“The Morris County Sheriff’s Office continues to support the LGBTQ+ community. Furthermore, we are proud to have a Liaison, LGBTQ Community Outreach Officer Sheriff’s Investigator Ashley Craig on our team, and thank her and all others who contributed during this event,” Sheriff Gannon said.

The annual Morris County event exemplifies law enforcement's recent efforts to bridge the LGBTQ+ community's divide. Pride and other coming-out celebrations began as acts of defiance and have evolved into a gathering place for all LGBTQ members as well as a place of peace and solidarity.