Newark Celebrates 17th Annual LGBTQ Pride Week

Newark is abuzz with the vibrant celebrations of the 17th annual Newark LGBTQ Pride Week, which runs through July 17 and centers on the theme "Legacy of Liberation." This year’s events span the city, commemorating the life of Sakia Gunn, a 15-year-old Black lesbian whose 2003 murder ignited the local LGBTQ community's fight for justice and visibility.

To honor Gunn’s memory, the Sakia Gunn Day of Service will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the corner of South Street and McCarter Highway, where participants are encouraged to "spread love to your community in your own way." Following this, flowers will be placed at a mural honoring Gunn.

“The community response from local LGBTQ agencies advocating for justice after Gunn’s death birthed an annual gathering the third week of July to commemorate her life, demonstrate our presence in solidarity, and to fellowship freely without fear,” said Alonzo S. Blalock, executive vice president of Newark Pride, Inc., in a statement.

The festivities kicked off with the raising of the Progressive Pride Flag at 6 p.m. Monday inside Newark City Hall Rotunda, 920 Broad Street. The week will culminate with the annual Pride Parade, starting at 11 a.m. Sunday at Lincoln Park and proceeding down Broad Street to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, followed by a festival hosted by "RuPaul’s Drag Race" star Trinity K. Bonet.

Additional events include happy hours, film screenings, social mixers, and a walking tour presented by the Queer Newark Oral History Project, starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Military Park. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit newarkpride.org.

Alex Biese has been writing about art, entertainment, culture, and news on a local and national level for more than 15 years.

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