The Hudson Pride Center was originally started in 1993 to provide support to HIV positive people and their loved ones during the height of that pandemic, a more recent pandemic, COVID-19, resulted in the organization being reborn to now become the largest LGBTQ social services center in New Jersey, with two locations, one in Jersey City and one in Union City.
Started as Jersey City Connections Center and then renamed Hudson Pride Connections Center, the organization is now doing business as Hudson Pride Center. While originally it had its own facility at 32 Jones Street in Jersey City, by the time COVID appeared, that building had already been sold and there was no executive director. COVID even displaced Hudson Pride from its location at Christ Hospital at the time. Seeing that the organization had no physical home and no leader, Elizabeth Schedl, who was COO at the time, began taking steps to reconfigure and restart Hudson Pride, all while not yet having taken over the position of executive director.
Schedl joined Hudson Pride in 2013 as a grant consultant after her work as an intern at the Victory Fund, which works to get LGBTQ people elected, for which she was involved with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) campaign. She then became a full-time Hudson Pride employee, advancing with the organization as it grew. “At that time over 10 years ago, we had grants of maybe a couple hundred thousand at best, and now we’re at almost two million,” she said.
Even though it was founded in 1993, the organization didn’t get its first grant until 2001, when it received one from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, “ said Schedl.
Since its urgent beginnings during the HIV/AIDS crisis, Hudson Pride has evolved into a comprehensive organization that provides a wide range of health and social services for anyone in the LGBTQ community in Hudson County.
A tour through the HPC’s services
During her tenure, Schedl opened two physical locations for Hudson Pride, one in Jersey City and one in Union City. The new Jersey City location opened two years ago, and the Union City location opened in December 2024.
When renovating the space for the Jersey City location, Schedl was faced with an empty shell of a third-floor office space. She and her team turned it into what Schedl describes as “a fun, vibrant community space that you feel good in and seen as an LGBTQ person.”
Bright and welcoming, the space features individual glassed-off offices themed around LGBTQ icons. The name of each particular leader of the movement is painted on the outside of each office’s glass wall, leading to an interior decorated in art and imagery reflective of that individual. For example, the styles of artists such as Keith Haring and Frida Kahlo are reflected in the hand-selected items decorating their spaces, while historical photographs decorate the spaces represented by other leaders such as Bayard Rustin, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and others.
The theme for the community room, for example, is Marsha P. Johnson. “Marsha P. Johnson is a huge part of our movement and history, so we wanted to give her the community room. This space is used for people to hang out, go on the computer, get some homework done, look for jobs, relax, watch TV, eat some food,” Schedl told Out In Jersey during a recent tour of the two facilities. “At night we use this space for groups. Last night, for example, we had more than 20 people doing karaoke, hanging out, and doing a lot of fun stuff. Our gender diverse community group, Beyond the Binary, meets here every Tuesday night. On Fridays, our Youth Connect Group traditionally meets here, but it’s become so expansive they’re meeting all over the space.”
Other communal areas include the Harvey Milk conference room and the Sylvia Rivera eatery with snacks, coffee, and a water station, where staff can come and eat. While clients can also come in and grab something, there’s another food option for community members that offers complete and healthy meals for free! Schedl explained: “One of my favorite partnerships is with Ujamaa Café through the Coalition for Food and Health Equity, which provides free healthy meals to individuals who either can’t afford it or live in a food desert without proper grocery stores. They put this super smart fridge in our space, and each Monday they fully stock it. Something that Hudson Pride has always struggled with is the level of food insecurities of our clients. This is a small answer to that.”
Another room nearby was themed for Bayard Rustin not only to give credit where credit is due, but also to bring awareness to an often-overlooked civil rights leader who just happens to be gay. “He’s somebody a lot of people who are part of our community don’t necessarily hear about or know about, which is a shame because he was one of the most influential people of our history and our movement,” Schedl said. “He doesn’t get a lot of the credit he deserves, so we tried to make sure that he was seen. It’s a great talking point because our youth today and also a lot of the adults we service, say, ‘Who is Bayard Rustin?’ (And now we’re starting to be erased all over again.)”
HIV testing lead to many other services
The Audre Lorde room is used for free and confidential HIV testing. Hudson Pride was founded to provide HIV services, in the past it did this through partnerships. “Before we became an HIV testing location, we partnered with Jersey City Medical Center and CarePoint Health to do our HIV testing,” Schedl said. “North Hudson Community Action Corporation would come to our events and sometimes pop in. We kept partnering but felt we needed to offer this service. So, we started out getting a PrEP prevention grant and then a second PrEP prevention grant. Finally, after all those grants, we got the HIV testing grant. We focus on populations at higher risk for HIV who are at or below the federal poverty line that are infected with HIV, that may be out of care, or don’t know their status. Now we do the testing, but at that time, and for more than 25 years, we were helping to get them tested.
“We still connect folks to HIV care, making sure they know their status, and if tested positive, getting them treatment and staying adherent to their medications. Along with that, comes, ‘Hey, what are you going through as an individual?’ A lot of these folks might be housing and/or food insecure, dealing with mental health and/or substance abuse, maybe job loss or stress. Our team focuses on the person’s whole health, which is how we get to programs like providing food in the common area for healthy meals.”
In addition to HIV testing, the Audre Lorde room is also used for intakes. “If you were to come in for an initial session, if you’re interested in gender affirming care, if you’re interested in becoming part of the youth program, whatever services you need, you come in here, you do an intake, that’s step one. Or we do it virtually,” Schedl said.
With so many services available, the first step is to determine the needs of someone coming into Hudson Pride for the first time. “When someone walks in,” said Schedl, “They are greeted by our wellness coordinator who chats with them, makes them feel comfortable, seen, and safe. Then they discuss their needs. Are they here for an appointment? Do they want to just hang out in the community room? Would they like to grab some food? From there we set them up with the appropriate staff member to address those needs.
“A lot of the programs intertwine. So someone might be coming here for PrEP, but they’re also going to our youth groups, or they might be part of our mental health program and also going to the groups. It’s just one stop. You have a full intake done and we’re meeting those needs and updating your charts to make sure as things change we’re keeping consistent.”
The Youth Team
“Our youth have so many things going on in their lives that can be really complicated,” said Schedl. “So navigating the ever-changing roles of what youth need can be challenging. What started as probably our largest client-based but least-funded program is now a full-service program. It’s the only program that has a full dedicated team. Steph [Director of Youth Services Stephanie Mills] has been instrumental in overseeing the youth program for 15 years here.”
Stephane Mills explained how the organization’s youth services have evolved over the years. “We went from offering youth services in a small way to expanding to monthly events, weekly support groups, and free mental health sessions, where we connect you to an affirming LGBTQ provider. We offer wellness and hygiene kits and free food for the groups every time they meet. We’re doing a youth summit with one of the partnering colleges in the summer. We do a youth prom and youth vogue classes. We just did a yoga class last week. “
Partnering with local schools is one way Hudson Pride generates interest among local LGBTQ youth, but it’s not the only way. Schedl explained: “We do workshops and educational presentations not only to the youth but sometimes to the staff and the teachers as well. Being affirmed and supported in school comes from the adults and the leaders at that school.” But that’s not all the organization does to generate interest among youth. “We have been working to build that youth program, so we also partner with other organizations that do youth work, do tabling events and outreach online,” Schedl continued. “We also have a strong partnership with Partners in Prevention, working together under NJ4S [New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services], a statewide grant program to provide support in schools, education, wellness, mental health wellness, and supportive workshops. Their presence in schools is really what’s introducing youth to Hudson Pride.”
Parents are also welcome.Family Ties is a group for parents of queer youth to come and talk about their kids’ needs. It started when supportive parents were joining their kids for youth group meetings but couldn’t participate, so Hudson Pride set up a group just for them.
In other cases, when parents are not supportive or for other reasons, the Hudson Pride youth services team can sometimes deal with very serious issues. “They’re not social workers, so they’re not giving advice, but they’re listening, providing a safe conversation and offering resources of where to go and what to do,” said Schedl. “We have kids who struggle with abuse, whether physical or sexual or emotional. We deal with a lot of young adults who have housing insecurity; they come in here with just a suitcase and say, ‘This is all my property, and I have nowhere to go tonight.'”
Before sending clients to a shelter, a lot of preparation occurs behind the scenes to ensure that facilities are LGBTQ friendly. “We partner with a lot of local shelters and do LGBTQ sensitivity training for all shelter staff in Hudson and Bergen County. We make sure team members are affirming, understand the use of pronouns and respect gender identities. We also do training for corporations. We do them in schools and for social service agencies in the area and beyond, sometimes for police officers and firefighters just to make sure people are addressing somebody correctly, making them feel safe and making sure they understand the multitude of gender identities and how they can create a space and facility that aligns.”
Trans youth specifically have their own unique needs, as do trans adults, so Hudson Pride offers extensive services for both, according to Schedl: “We offer gender supportive care and affirming care, referrals for hormone replacement therapy, letters for doctors for gender affirming surgeries, name change and gender marker change programs, free gender affirming clothing items.”
Lord Abbett – the benefactor
The final room on a tour of the Jersey City facility was the Lord Abbett room. “Lord Abbett is an investment firm in Jersey City,” said Schedl. “I developed a relationship with them during COVID. They had donated through Hudson Gives, so I found the person who made the donation on behalf of Lord Abbett, set up a Zoom meeting because we were all locked down, and I told her about Hudson Pride and the need. They came on as a three-year major donor of almost a million dollars, the first major corporation to ever invest in us, believe in us, and support us in that way financially.”
Hudson Pride has a second location in Union City
Hudson Pride opened its second location in Union City in December 2024. Its ground floor location with street visibility differentiates it from the third-floor Jersey City location. “The most important thing when we started looking for a second location was the realization that visibility and presence on the street level really sends a message,” said Schedl. “It does its own outreach.”
Just inside the front window is a hand-painted wooden bench depicting the Hudson Pride logo that you can actually sit on! While the Union City location is a smaller footprint than Jersey City, it is similar in that it has a waiting area, intake, rooms named after LGBTQ icons, and snacks everywhere. “There’s a heavily Hispanic community here. So we wanted to make sure we highlight the community that we’re serving in the area and that the experience falls in line with that,” added Schedl. That’s reflected in some of the icons selected, including Pedro Zamora from MTV’s The Real World and Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado.
Educational touch screens in both locations were placed through a partnership with Mesmerize. Health-related information as well as Hudson Pride’s own proprietary content is available on the screen for visitors to access while waiting.
About the Union City location, community health manager Elvis Guiracocha said: “Having a space right here on Bergenline in a very high traffic and very public-transportation-friendly area has been so amazing. A lot of residents grew up in this area not having access to an LGBTQ center. For example, a Bergen County youth from Fairview took the bus here because there are no LGBTQ resources there. Now they’re an active member of our youth program. Within the first month, we saw such positive feedback overall.”
“The support of County Executive Craig Guy, along with the Hudson County Ending the HIV Epidemic grant, which is committed to reducing HIV transmission in Hudson County by 90% by 2030, played a critical role in helping us open our Union City office,” said Schedl. “It allowed us to establish an LGBTQ Health and Wellness Program that ensures an affirming, inclusive, and respectful environment where the community can access HIV care, treatment, and behavioral health services.”
Urgent funding needs
Like many non-profits these days, particularly those that rely on federal funding, cutbacks have already been implemented, specifically for HIV care. “Since the current administration took office, it’s been a really hard time for every queer person and every person who believes in the quality of life for humans,” Schedl said. “Almost all of my team members identify as part of the queer community, so on a personal level it’s been very hard for them. It’s also affecting everyday life with the clients they’re serving. Then, if you take away our funding, you’re taking away our jobs, you’re taking away our programs, you’re taking away the existence of Hudson Pride. We went from being a very financially unstable organization that wasn’t secure to finally feeling secure. Then this government comes in saying, ‘No, you’re not. We’re going to put the fear back in you.’
“We’re very privileged to be in a state that is much more accepting and supportive of our community, and we have leaders that are as well, especially in Hudson County and Jersey City and Union City. We’re very privileged in the way in which our overall community has been supported and accepted, which is not the same throughout this country.”
While the majority of Hudson Pride’s funding comes from government grants (over 85%), additional support is provided through corporate and private donations, as well as contributions from community partners such as the Jersey City Pride Festival. You can find Hudson Pride on Facebook and Instagram.
