By Sarah Fertsch
Books. Bathrooms. Hate crimes. Although the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community (LGBT) has more freedom than ever in history, South Jersey sometimes feels like a battleground for social justice.
Mico Lucide, resident of Mays Landing, sat down with Shore Local Newsmagazine to discuss the highs and lows of being gay in 2024. Lucide is the director and co-founder of the Atlantic County Queer Alliance (ACQA), and identifies as gay.
A monthly brunch club led to powerful conversations,and the eventual creation of the Atlantic County Queer Alliance. Their first task: host the first-ever Pride parade in Mays Landing in 2022. With months of paperwork, vendor coordination, and advertising, “it was a major lift.”
Made official in June 2023, ACQA isn’t a traditional 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. “Primarily, we serve the groups that serve the broader community,” Lucide said. “There are a lot of smaller LGBT groups who desperately need a network.”
In June 2023, ACQA launched with five partner organizations: Queer-headed, Hammonton Pride, Free Mom Hugs of Atlantic County, Free Mom Hugs of Cape May County, and Pride in Mays Landing. Eventually, ACQA officially partnered with Garden State Equality, We Belong Cape May County, Equality Cape May and GLSEN of Southern New Jersey.
Thanks to state grants, the Alliance provides resources to organizations such as event planning, and outreach support. “Because we are a background organization, we can make sure that the front-facing groups can focus on fun and events and connection,” said Lucide.
Lucide told Shore Local Newsmagazine that the best way to meet the needs of the LGBT community is by asking them. In January 2024, ACQA held their first South Jersey LGBT Summit at the Stockton University Atlantic City campus.
“We had about a hundred attendees, and they shared the collective need for a physical space,” he said. “It can be isolating, and a center for folks to ask questions, meet others like them, and feel safe would make a big difference.”
Beyond administration, ACQA provides emergency support for sociopolitical threats to the LGBT community. In 2022, when protesters picketed outside of Ocean City High School opposing new health curriculums, ACQA deployed allies at school board meetings and spoke out for queer students.
Lucide called for support from local politicians and leaders to stand up for the queer community. “When our rights are being threatened, particularly in education, we need big names to stand up, even when we aren’t in the room,” he said.
ACQA’s board members focus on procuring grants to fund services for the community. Lucide shared that almost all civil rights funding gets allocated to North Jersey, which causes South Jersey to be underserved for minority groups.
“Atlantic City’s has such an important LGBT history, and many folks don’t realize the significance of our region. The Entertainer’s Club is the oldest gay bar on the East Coast,” Lucide said.
Atlanticare recently opened their first LGBT care center, operated by Dr. BJ Howard, a nonbinary primary physician that specializes in respectful healthcare for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender needs. “This is a great win for our community, and we try to support this center as much as possible,”said Lucide.
Lucide highlighted one of their partner organizations, Queer-Headed, who represent LGBT members who are sober. “When most people think of our community, they imagine a gay bar. It makes connection much more challenging when you don’t drink,” he said. Next month, Queer-Headed will be hosting a nature walk at Estell Manor Park.
Major work can’t be accomplished alone, and Lucide thanks the ACQA board for their dedication to the mission of inclusion. “Everyone deserves to be safe and welcome, and that’s all we want for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.”
“The best way to build empathy and learn about the queer community is by simply asking,” said Lucide. “Whether it’s your sister or neighbor, we can learn a lot from each other. It’s all theoretical until we talk to each other.”
For more information on the Atlantic County Queer Alliance, check out their website at https://www.acqanj.com/.
