Justice Has No Closet
The LGBTQ+ Committee of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference works to advance equality and justice for LGBTQ+ people within Black and Brown communities. We address issues of discrimination, health access, safety, and representation through advocacy, education, and community partnerships.
Grounded in the NAACP’s mission and inspired by leaders like Bayard Rustin and Audre Lorde, the committee uplifts voices at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality—ensuring that every person can live freely, safely, and proudly as their authentic self.
Larry Traylor, Committee Chair
MISSION.
The mission of the LGBTQ+ Committee is to advocate for the rights, safety, and full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people within Black and Brown communities across New Jersey. We work to eliminate discrimination, promote equity in policy and practice, and amplify voices at the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Through education, community engagement, and partnership, we strive to ensure that every person can live authentically and with dignity—free from bias, fear, or exclusion.
VISION.
We envision a New Jersey where liberation is whole, justice is inclusive, and every LGBTQ+ person—especially those within Black and Brown communities—can live freely and fully as their authentic selves. Our vision is grounded in the belief that the struggle for racial justice and the fight for queer and trans liberation are inseparable parts of the same movement toward freedom.
We imagine communities where Black queer youth are affirmed and protected, where Black trans lives are celebrated and valued, and where families, congregations, and institutions embrace LGBTQ+ people as integral to the moral and cultural fabric of our people. We see a future where policies are rooted in equity, where leadership reflects the fullness of our diversity, and where our stories are told with pride, dignity, and truth.
Guided by the legacy of Black freedom fighters and queer visionaries—from Bayard Rustin to Audre Lorde—we commit to building a world where no one is silenced for who they love or how they identify. Our vision is to transform systems of exclusion into communities of care, to shift narratives of shame into ones of celebration, and to ensure that every Black LGBTQ+ person has the right not only to survive, but to thrive.
This is the freedom we seek: a New Jersey—and a nation—where justice is intersectional, love is revolutionary, and liberation leaves no one behind.
