Garden State Equality

Garden State Equality is New Jersey’s largest advocacy organization. Since Garden State Equality's founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted 210 laws at the state, county and municipal levels to advance the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. That's more LGBT civil rights laws enacted in less time than in any other U.S. state – ever. A 2009 year-end study by www.eQualityGiving.com ranks New Jersey as #1 in the United States for LGBT civil rights, tied with California, Iowa and Vermont. In 2008, Garden State Equality became the first statewide civil rights organization in America to be showcased in an Academy Award®-winning film. "Garden State Equality has run the most effective grassroots campaign New Jersey has seen in years," the Star-Ledger has written. Next we will win a marriage equality statute to replace our state's failed civil union law. So welcome to Garden State Equality, a movement making history. We're glad you're here.

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HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS continues to be an epidemic with particular severity in our state. New Jersey has the highest estimated proportion of women living with AIDS in the entire United States. New Jersey has the nation’s 4th highest rate of HIV among adults and the 2nd highest rate of HIV among children. And though African Americans account for 13% of the population, they account for 56% of the adults and adolescents in New Jersey living with HIV and AIDS. Sources: The AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey; Campaign for a Healthier New Jersey of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey .

New Jersey is fortunate to have a number of America’s most effective organizations serving people with HIV and AIDS. They include the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, New Jersey’s largest HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and public policy organization. Hyacinth has offices in New Brunswick, Trenton, North Plainfield, Newark, Jersey City and Paterson. Garden State Equality highly recommends visiting Hyacinth’s website. It is a remarkably comprehensive resource for people with HIV/AIDS.

Hyacinth runs a toll-free hotline at 1 (800) 433-0254 that provides information, referrals, counseling support, and crisis intervention to over 3,000 callers annually. The Hyacinth hotline can give you information about basic facts of HIV and AIDS, risk behavior, transmission, prevention, and treatment, as well as Hyacinth and other HIV-related services. The toll-free number works only in New Jersey. Outside New Jersey, the hotline number is (732) 246-0204.

There are a number of exceptional local HIV/AIDS service organizations across the state.

HIV/AIDS service organizations in Newark include the African-American Office of Gay Concerns, the North Jersey Community Research Initiative and NJCRI’s Project WOW! Youth Center.

Also in North Jersey are several HIV/AIDS support groups at the Pride Connections Center in Jersey City. Every Monday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Center hosts a support group for HIV+ people ages 13 to 30. Every Thursday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, the Center hosts an HIV+ spirituality group. And every Thursday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the Center holds the group Gay and Bisexual Men with HIV. The Center is at 32 Jones Street in Jersey City.

If you live in South Jersey, you may contact The AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey. The organization’s website, is another superb resource.

The New Jersey Women and AIDS Network is one of the country’s oldest women-specific HIV and AIDS service organizations.