Newark To Raise LGBTQ Pride Flag, Kicking Off Week-long Celebrations

Newark city officials will hold a LGBTQ pride flag-raising ceremony on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the City Hall First Floor Rotunda on 920 Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard.

The flag will fly throughout the following days for the 20th anniversary of Newark Pride Week. Members of the public can RSVP here.

“The people of Newark are proud of our efforts to support the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ residents, through the

daily services of our commission and other organizations, to our annual LGBTQ Pride events,” said Mayor Ras Baraka in a press release. “Our homegrown celebration every July is especially joyful as an invitation for all of us to touch our own sense of freedom and liberation. We welcome all visitors to come see firsthand how Newark upholds inclusion and justice, and bursts with opportunity, potential, and dreams come.”

Newark celebrates Pride Week in honor of 15-year-old Sakia Gunn, who was murdered in a hate crime in 2003. Her death sparked a movement for LGBTQ justice, especially for youth of color.

Throughout the week, the city will host a variety of activities, such as a game night at Newark Local Beer on July 8 and a ballroom showcase at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on July 11.  

Pride Week will be capped with an annual parade on July 13. The parade begins at Lincoln Park at 10 a.m. and ends at Mulberry Commons. A festival will be held on the same day from 1 to 8 p.m.

More events and details can be found online at https://www.newarkpride.org/events. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated to add more information about Newark Pride Week’s history.