Hunterdon County, NJ residents and others gathered in support of queer students. This action ended just a few minutes before this posting.

FLEMINGTON, NJ- A small group of people from across Hunterdon County and beyond disrupted a fundraiser event hosted by Concerned Citizens of NJ (CCNJ) last night. The event was stated to support “patriotic” and “vetted” candidates running for the Hunterdon Central Regional High School (HCRHS) Board of Education. CCNJ is a known anti-LGBTQIA+ group that has supported previous efforts to infiltrate school board meetings and vilify students for their gender identity and how they express themselves.

“Students in our districts have the right to an education where they can learn about LGBTQIA+ issues and historical figures. They have a right to use the pronouns and name that best represent who they are. They have the right to simply use the restroom, regardless of gender identity,” said a resident of Flemington present at the event. “If your child is too afraid to tell you of their identity due to fear of rejection, the error lies with you, not the district for protecting them.”

The fundraiser event hosted by CCNJ was just the latest in a slew of attacks on NJ’s youth. Last year, members of an anti-queer group attended an HCRHS board meeting in an attempt to convince the administration to restrict the rights of queer students. They were met with hundreds of students and others who came out to support LGBTQIA+ rights in school.

This evening only CCNJ could only turn out thirty people to their event. Candidates for the Flemington-Raritan school board like Tiffany Jarrett spoke to the miniscule group.

Protestors were part of a collective of queer activists and supporters who united against the spread of hate in Flemington and beyond. They condemned the continued efforts in Hunterdon County to install queerphobic candidates in local school boards. The activists expressed their solidarity with local students, queer community members, and supportive teachers and administrators at both Hunterdon Central and other schools in the district.

“We’re sick of having to deal with outsiders who come into our schools and tout ‘religious freedom’ while simultaneously attacking our most basic rights,” said a student at HCRHS. “I just want to go to school and not worry about being misgendered, deadnamed, or outed to my parents. I don’t want to be scared to walk into the classroom.”

Community members will continue to show up at Hunterdon Central, other Hunterdon County schools, and beyond until the attacks on our students are permanently halted.