Helldober’s Speech:

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Honorable Mayor Chris Vergano, Councilwoman Fran Ritter, and everyone else involved in passing this resolution, making Wayne the first municipality in the state to offer such recognition. A special thank you to Gus Penaranda, a proud William Paterson alum and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce, for your tireless efforts in advancing LGBTQIA+ businesses and highlighting the power of the “rainbow dollar.” As the first openly gay president of a public university in New Jersey, I am truly humbled to stand before you today.

As we enter Pride Month, we are often confronted with questions about the need to celebrate our community. We are frequently asked why such a celebration is necessary and whether we are pushing some “gay agenda.” If there is an agenda, I cannot speak for the entire LGBTQIA+ community; our opinions are as diverse as the community itself.

My agenda is simple: I want the words “created equal” and “liberty and justice for all” to truly reflect their meaning.

We want all adults to be able to love whomever they choose and enjoy the same rights as any other American citizen. We want our public schools and institutions to be precisely that—public. And we are an integral part of that public. I respect everyone’s right to have their own beliefs—that is your liberty and justice, too—but public education and institutions, including government, must represent all members of society, not just those in positions of power.

When we hear about teachers being prohibited from discussing our families, or LGBTQIA+ curriculum not being taught in schools despite state mandates, or when we hear about trans individuals being bullied, excluded from sports, or denied the use of appropriate restrooms, these are times when the phrases “created equal” and “liberty and justice for all” become mere rhetoric, recited without a genuine commitment to their ideals.

Yet, I am also reminded of the phrase “to form a more perfect union,” I believe that, as a relatively young nation, we are still on the path toward achieving that “more perfect union.”

We find ourselves in an era of intense political, racial, and economic polarization, where it has become increasingly difficult to truly listen to and understand those who are different from us.

Recently, I had the great honor of addressing the William Paterson Class of 2022 graduates. I reminded them that they have studied—and some have lived—on one of New Jersey’s most diverse university campuses. I hope that they have learned to appreciate and respect those who look, think, or love differently from themselves and that they have learned how to engage meaningfully with those who are different.

And it is my hope—and I would argue it is our collective responsibility—that as they move into the world, into our cities, neighborhoods, and workplaces, they will use those skills to foster greater understanding and appreciation of “otherness” as a way to build authentic community.

I left them with a quote from the late author and social activist bell hooks, who was also a Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College. I believe her words perfectly capture my hopes. She said: “Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference, but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.”

Let us contribute to creating and sustaining a “beloved community.” Let us use Pride Month as an opportunity to celebrate, understand, appreciate, and engage with members of the LGBTQIA+ community—especially when we often don’t see ourselves reflected in public life.

I am deeply grateful to the leadership in Wayne—Councilwoman Ritter, Mayor Vergano, and others—for this resolution and for making Wayne the first municipality in the state to provide such recognition. Our community feels a little more equal and hopeful that “liberty and justice for all” is more than just a concept and that we are indeed part of the public and included in the public institutions here in Wayne.