Newark Beth Israel Medical raises the rainbow flag for Pride Month

NEWARK, NJ — Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, raised the rainbow flag on June 1 in celebration of Pride Month.

Newark Beth Israel’s employee business resource group, PRIDE — Providing Respect, Inclusion, Dignity and Empowerment — hosted the annual event, supported by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Senior leaders and employees were joined by Essex County’s first director of LGBTQ affairs, Reginald Bledsoe. 

“Newark Beth Israel is committed to delivering world-class, inclusive care in a safe environment for all patients, including the LGBTQ-plus population and other traditionally marginalized communities. We have received five Healthcare Equality Index designations for delivering inclusive care to the LGBTQ-plus community and our Children’s Hospital of New Jersey received its first such designation this year. This ceremony is just one of the ways in which we foster awareness and celebrate the many communities that we serve,” said Darrell K. Terry Sr., president and CEO of the health care facilities. 

“Every year our employees come together to honor and celebrate the LGBTQ-plus community and allies with a wide range of activities. This flag raising is the beginning of a month of events aimed at advocating and educating around issues that impact the LGBTQ community at large,” said Atiya-Jaha Rashidi, chief equity officer and vice president of community relations.

The following flags will be on display at Newark Beth Israel throughout the month of June: intersex-inclusive pride progress flag, progress pride flag, Philadelphia people of color inclusion flag, transgender pride flag, gender fluid pride flag, intersex pride flag, coexist flag, ally flag, pansexual pride flag, nonbinary pride flag, equality pride flag and bisexual pride flag.

  Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, LGBTQ, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center