LGBT Pride Events in Plainfield and Union County

As most folks are aware, June is LGBT Pride Month. This year, Plainfield will be celebrating with an official raising of the LGBT Pride Flag tomorrow--Thursday, June 15 at 7:00 pm at City Hall. Rev. Damaris Ortega, pastor of UCC Congregational Church will offer the invocation, followed by remarks, the reading of the council resolution, the mayoral proclamation, and the flag raising itself. In addition, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will host its Family Pride Community Picnic this Saturday, June 17 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at Rahway River Park with a rally, a concert, and family-friendly activities throughout the day. See the flier at the bottom of this post for details.

On Friday, June 30, 2017 at 7:30 pm, the City of Plainfield will continue its celebration of LGBT Pride Month with a staged reading of the comedy Five Husbands, written and directed by Award-winning playwright and Plainfield resident B.V. Marshall. The presentation will take place in the Theater Space at the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield, located at 724 Park Avenue in Plainfield. This free performance will be followed by a reception with refreshments and conversation in the Parish Hall. Parking is available in the lot across from the Unitarian Society.

Five Husbands details the travails of Oliver, the owner of a small boutique who, despite being successful in other areas of his life, prefers to sleep with unavailable men. The new legality of marriage equality notwithstanding, Oliver rejects marriage and celebrates his independence with his best friend Sally, who is equally free–wheeling. When another man from their mutual past returns, it sets in motion a series of events that forces Oliver to examine his fear of commitment to a relationship, to the men in his life, and his own views towards commitment. A member of the Dramatists Guild, playwright B.V. Marshall has received fellowships from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, the Victor Bumbalo/Robert Chesley award for LGBTQ playwriting and four playwriting awards from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Plainfield has a large and very diverse LGBT population--make sure that you come out in support of the LGBT community--we are your children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandparents, and your friends.