Gay-Straight Alliance

Junior Human Relations Council

Monroe Township New Jersey High School

    It gives us a great deal of pleasure to announce the formation of the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at the Monroe High School.  I will not share the number of years we have been working to achieve this but the atmosphere that has been created by the new administration of Governor Corzine.  The support from the Division of Civil Rights, the continued support of the Monroe Human Relations Commission (HRC) and the new Superintendent of Schools in Monroe have all contributed to this goal being achieved.  When the safe, supportive climate was created, the staff and students readily responded.

    When we moved to New Jersey we became active in the effort to amend the Law Against Discrimination (LAD) to include “sexual or affectional orientation.”  I had this vision of getting the Gay Community, NOW, and NAACP to work together to achieve at least supportive coordinators in every county to implement new provisions of the LAD by working together.  What I didn’t figure was that these groups were not ready to work together.  There were just not the “want be humanitarians” I was hoping to find.  The gay community was and is suffering from the “Sick and Sinful Syndrome” we accepted and most of the leaders are meeting their ego needs.  Most groups have still not accepted the difference between religious beliefs and basic Civil and Human Rights.

    The GSA was enthusiastic about being the first group at the Monroe High School to be affiliated with the Monroe Human Relations Commission to be working for the full implementation of the LAD.  The Middlesex NOW Chapter has already voted to be a sponsor and we will get other organizations to be supportive.  We will renew our efforts to support any and all groups to work with the HRC in their county. Our position is that all schools should be safe places where all children and teachers can achieve their personal best in all areas.

    The Gay-Straight Alliance Junior Human Relations Council Monroe Township New Jersey High School will be featured in the GayPASG convertible in NJ’s 15^th Annual Pride Parade in Asbury Park on June 4, 2006 and be represented at the GayPASG tent.

GayPASG was co-founded and is sponsored by Messrs. Richard J. Harrison and John Crowell Campbell

of Edison, New Jersey.  Mr. Campbell is a Commissioner on the NJ Civil Right Commission.