Asbury Park will still be the place but it is rescheduled for Oct. 24, to host a conference and live concert. The event at the legendary Stone Pony will feature prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community and information on what’s at stake for queer New Jerseyans in this election cycle.
Jersey Pride Inc., the organization behind the annual LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration in Asbury Park since the early 1990s is presenting the event, “United Out Loud,” which will begin at 12 p.m. with a concert to follow on Oct. 24, at The Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Ave. in Asbury Park.
The event is intended “to encourage civic engagement and underscore why and how the LGBTQ+ community must be involved this election cycle,” according to a news release. “It’s not just a conference. It’s not just a concert. It’s a civic cabaret built for this moment,” the release said.
Scheduled speakers and entertainers for the civic cabaret portion of the event are:
- New Jersey State Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul;
- Axel Torres Marrero and Kathy Ahearn-O’Brien of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation,
- Comedian Susan Keiser;
- Friday Nite Specials Cast, one of the state’s oldest Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow casts;
- Gary Paul Wright, founder of African American Office of Gay Concerns;
- James Dale, the plaintiff in the 2000 U.S. Supreme Court discrimination case Boy Scouts of America v. Dale;
- Jane Clementi, cofounder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation whose son Tyler died by suicide after a sexual encounter with him and another man was secretly recorded and disseminated;
- Mark Segal, founder and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News;
- Phil McCabe, president of the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies;
- Trans folk singer-songwriter Flynn Faye; and
- ViRAGO, a female guitar and percussion duo.
Scheduled to perform at the concert are:
- BETTY, Christine Martucci and The Band of Love, Crystal Envy, who competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race and will be the emcee, Jess Alaimo, and Josh Zuckerman.
Out In Jersey Media is a sponsor of the event in addition to The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park, LGBTQ+ civil rights organization Garden State Equality, Just 4 Cakes NJ, and the Philly Pretzel Factory.
Throughout the day, quick-hit 15-minute sessions will break down what’s at stake for LGBTQ+ New Jerseyans in the midterms, including voting rights, ballot access and policies shaping the community’s future, according to the release, and the sessions will be interspersed with comedians, spoken-word artists and musicians.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, according to the release. There is a 2 for 1 ticket deal while it lasts on Eventbrite. They may be purchased at unitedoutloud.eventbrite.com and jerseypride.org.
