Reflecting on the intersection of Pride and Art in South Jersey
Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the identity and rights of the LGBTQ+ community after the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village. During this month, LGBTQ+ people take pride in their history, identity, and political achievements.
South Jersey has a unique connection the LGBTQ history, as Atlantic City was once known as having a thriving LGBTQ+ community. In the book Drag Queens and Beauty Queens: Contesting Femininity in the World’s Playground by Laurie Green, the author studies the Drag community adjacent to the Miss America pageant.
While the LGBTQ+ community once thrived in Atlantic City’s New York Avenue with many gay bars and clubs, it eventually declined due to a variety of socio-economic issues occurring, impacting generations of the LGBTQ+ community in Atlantic City.
Despite the decline that the LGBTQ+ community experienced in Atlantic City, between those who stayed in the area and those who moved on to other cities, the community found ways to survive and thrive. Miss’d America, a satirical take on the Miss America Pageant, has grown in popularity and status. While it was once on a dingy runway or space in the bars, now it is a full production on stage, showcasing the ingenuity and creativity showcased through drag. The legacy that Drag Queens and the LGBTQ+ community have left in the area is culturally relevant but hidden in plain sight. Miss’d America has not only been an imp been an impactful aspect of the now popular performance of drag but also on the Miss America Pageant that historically occurred in Atlantic City. The next crowned Miss America has a parade on the boardwalk after winning, and as the story goes according to the book, in a drunken rowdiness, one of the patrons of the gay bar yelled, “Show us your shoes!” and that Miss America did! And so, now the tradition of showing your shoes after winning has been adopted into the tradition of the Miss America Pageant.
Today, you can find New York Avenue with gay bars and maintaining and building the LGBTQ+ community again through their business's collaboration with local LGBTQ+ support organizations.
And to tie back to our artist feature for this month, due to the efforts of LGBTQ+ organizers in the past and present, despite the hardships the community has continued to face, it is a safer space for there to be out and proud individuals in the community, thriving instead of surviving.
If you haven't already, read about Lizz Sooy, a songwriter, vocalist, model, actress, choreographer, and musician based in Cumberland County. Like others, Lizz is continuing the tradition of moving things forward and finding her own pathway to support and help people in the LGBTQ+ community by using her unique skills and talents in the arts. And she is not the only artist in South Jersey paving their own way to shaping the contemporary LGBTQ+ arts and cultural landscape in South Jersey and sharing why it is important to support the arts in the region.
We acknowledge the perseverance, achievements, and histories of the LGBTQ+ community in South Jersey. Here a just a few we know of in the region supporting the LGBTQ+ Community in South Jersey:
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network South Jersey Chapter - GLSEN Southern New Jersey is a chapter of GLSEN, a national organization fighting for every student's right to a safe, supportive education.
AtlantiCare LGBTQ+ Health Center & Commitment - Kirby Delgado, LGBTQ+ Support Services Navigator, is the liaison between LGBTQ+ patients and services provided throughout the AtlantiCare system and our community.
AC Pride - AC Pride is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in Atlantic City & Atlantic County.
AQUANJ - The Atlantic County Queer Alliance (ACQA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to building a foundation of community among South Jersey's LGBTQIA+ organizations and individuals.
PFLAG - The South Jersey chapter is located in Collingswood. Founded in 1973, PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Jersey Gay Pride - Provides resources for ALL counties in South Jersey. Jersey Gay Pride's mission is to promote equality, respect, and awareness of important causes, such as bullying, food and shelter, job readiness, and local and national resources to the LGBTQ+ community of Southern and Eastern New Jersey and the surrounding areas.
Salem County Pride - Salem County Pride+ is a nonprofit organization with a goal to support LGBTQ+ in Salem Co.
