Kerrie Joyce 
During Pride Month, there are plenty of LGBTQ+ events throughout the summer to look forward to. But it is also crucial to have spaces where people can find community year-round. With NYC only a PATH, ferry, or bus ride away, it may seem like there are endless opportunities for finding Queer community; however, there is also a vibrant community right here in Hudson County in need of support—although it might be a bit harder to find. Read on for more information about LGBTQ+ spaces and resources in Hoboken and Jersey City.
Editor’s note: Please note: Any omissions were not intentional. If you would like to request that we add your group to this list, please email [email protected].
Hudson Pride Center | 3000 John F. Kennedy Boulevard Suite 306, Jersey City + 4428-30 Bergenline Avenue, Union City
Hudson Pride Center’s Jersey City office, located a short walk from the Journal Square PATH station, is the largest LGBTQ+ center in New Jersey. The space is adorned with artwork by local LGBTQ+ artists, with each room paying homage to a different revolutionary figure in the community, including Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Frida Kahlo, Audre Lorde, and Bayard Rustin.
The Hudson County Pride agency has been around for 30+ years, and the Jersey City center has been open since 2022. In 2024, Hudson Pride expanded with an additional location in Union City. Speaking with Executive Director Elizabeth Schedl, they shared that the center’s goal is to “service anyone who needs some form of support or help, regardless of if it’s a service we offer. If it is, then absolutely. If it’s not, then we have so many partners throughout the county and in the state that we have a large list of referrals, too.”
Hudson Pride Center provides a wide range of affirming programs, support groups, and direct resources for LGBTQ+ community members across Hudson County. Services include YouthConnect programming for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24, Family Ties for parents and guardians, BIPOC Social gatherings, Beyond the Binary for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals, Lezfest for queer women, Rainbow Elders of New Jersey for LGBTQ+ older adults, Viviendo los Colores for Latinx LGBTQ+ adults, and Positive Living Lab, a bilingual wellness group for people living with HIV.
Through these programs, community members can access peer support, wellness education, creative workshops, resource referrals, mental health and crisis support connections, HIV/STD testing and PrEP counseling referrals, substance-use treatment referrals, legal support resources, and gender-affirming care navigation. YouthConnect also provides 1:1 support for LGBTQ+ youth seeking affirming mental health services, HRT access, letters of support, gender-affirming surgery referrals, and assistance with legal name or gender marker changes.
The center also works with local schools to help create safer, more affirming environments for LGBTQ+ students while connecting young people with Hudson Pride’s youth programming. Weekly youth workshops take place on Fridays from 6PM to 8PM and have included self-care sessions, art activities, movie nights, bowling, and other community-building events.
Elizabeth also highlighted the purpose of Pride as both celebration and protest, saying, “All of these places raising Pride flags, which is extremely important because of the political climate we’re in, and the administration saying ‘Not only should you not be raising Pride flags but we’re going to try to strip away your rights and your existence.’ So when you have a county and cities within it really pushing forward and saying, ‘No, we are going to continue celebrating and acknowledging this community.’ That’s really great, I think overall, because a lot of areas throughout this country are not doing that, and companies as well are pulling back from supporting.”
Jersey City Pride | Jersey City
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In addition to the annual festival in August, Jersey City Pride organizes year-round events dedicated to uplifting, celebrating, and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in Jersey City. Programming spans a wide range of queer experiences, from social gatherings and celebratory community events to educational webinars and advocacy-focused resources.
Recent programming has included legal protection webinars, community meetups, and events centered on LGBTQ+ empowerment, connection, and safety. Through partnerships with local organizations and advocates, Jersey City Pride continues to provide spaces where community members can celebrate, learn, connect, and access information that supports them year-round.
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The Festival’s 2026 theme, “Show Your True Colors — Now More Than Ever,” celebrates visibility, authenticity, and the power of community presence. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and hard-won progress continue to face renewed challenges nationwide, the theme serves as both a celebration and a call to action, encouraging everyone to show up fully and proudly.
Throughout the Festival and its year-round programming, the theme will come to life through bold visuals, inclusive storytelling, live performances, educational programming, and community-centered experiences. From large-scale celebrations to intimate cultural gatherings, Pride continues to create space for connection, expression, and belonging.
Little City Queers at Little City Books | 100 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken
Little City Queers is a book club organized by Little City Books’ staff members Sophia and Bless had this to say about their role in providing a space within the 100 Bloomfield Street store in Hoboken for people to find LGBTQ+ community:
“Sophia and I met while working at Little City Books in 2022. We quickly discovered that we had similar tastes in queer books, but that there were no book clubs near us that specifically celebrated books by and about queer people. While queer spaces exist in Hoboken, they can be difficult to find. Sophia and I wanted to ensure that our space wasn’t only used to talk about our book picks but also to connect with queer people in our area. We are super proud of the community we’ve fostered so far and look forward to welcoming new people into the group! If anyone wants to stay up to date, they can follow our Instagram @littlecityqueers or email us at [email protected] to get added to our newsletter.”
Hoboken Pride Advisory Committee
The Hoboken Pride Advisory Committee is a City Municipal Board established in 2024 by Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. Its mission is to promote inclusiveness for LGBTQIA+ members of the Hoboken community, as well as all Hoboken residents, workers, and students. The Committee’s work focuses on raising awareness, proposing solutions, fostering a culture of acceptance and affirmation, and supporting community-building activities and outreach that promote equity, dignity, and safety for LGBTQIA+ individuals. The Committee also recognizes the many intersecting identities within the LGBTQIA+ community, including race, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, and age, and aims to reflect and honor that diversity in its work.
Current members include Laura Knittel, Gina Dedio, Officer Daniela Simone, David Bimbi, Catherine Williams, Sam LaRoche, Tara Giancaspro, Milton Canales, Matthew Cunningham, Reverend Dr. Elaine Ellis Thomas, David Weinberger, Emily Jabbour, Larissa Szilaygi, Matthew Persico, and Cecilia Platt.
The Hoboken Pride Advisory Committee exists year-round and encourages residents to share suggestions, ideas, and feedback by emailing [email protected].
See More: People to Watch: LGBTQ+ Community Leaders in Montclair
Hoboken Rainbow Family
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Hoboken Rainbow Family is a group that was founded in 2021 to create a queer community in Hoboken. According to its website, the mission is to “increase visibility and normalize the presence and lives of LGBTQ+ (rainbow) individuals and families in Hoboken.” The group also focuses on mentorship, connecting families with LGBTQ+ parents and/or children. Events can be found on the group’s Instagram @hobokenrainbowfamily or the Facebook group.
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