Governors are currently reviewing a bipartisan bill to define the state certification procedure for LGBTQ business owners. Phil Murphy’s office, opening up the potential for these companies to win money, arrangements, or other opportunities offered by state authorities.
The existing ones may be strengthened by an administrative order Murphy issued in 2022 if passed into law. Similar documentation is now provided by the state Treasury for businesses run by women, people of color, and veterans.
An unexpected sight on the Assembly floor was the debate between the bill’s two Republican politicians.
Assemblyman Bergen (R-Morris) reiterated his support for the LGBTQ community, but he said he only wants to support and pass legislation that is meaningful and supportive. He referred to this measure as “bad public policy” and a “metaphorical act benefiting essentially no one.”
Bergen suggested that the bill would grant LGBTQ businesses contracts and money with preferential treatment. He added that the only people who would gain from the bill who aren’t already eligible for this certification are gay men who are white, non-veterans.
“Advocates for this act assert that members of this group have a business risk that necessitates preferential treatment, but that’s not the case. These businesses have no more risk than any other businesses,” said Bergen.
Bergen also objected to a bill provision that would make it possible for people to challenge a person’s documentation and demand that the claimant vigorously defend it on a public website. He said he wanted to control problems, but that effort was shot down by Assemblyman Don Guardian (R-Atlantic), the president’s partner and one of the few queer members of the Legislature.
Guardian defended the bill, telling of his experience of leading two separate lives in the 1980s, one on Long Beach Island on vacation and the other in Denville during the week. A pocket-sized guide with names and locations of gay-friendly businesses was required if he wanted to go out for a drink or to a cafe.
According to Guardian, if he entered the wrong establishment with another person, he ran the risk of being kicked out or beaten up.
“That type of discrimination now is no longer accepted. It should not have been accepted back then, but now, at this moment, we in the Legislature have the opportunity to correct those injustices,” he said.
Guardian emphasized that the bill does not give out freebies to LGBTQ businesses, but rather gives them the chance to be recognized and remain visible. Over 130 companies hold the LGBTQ certification now, he said.
“What I’ve heard from the business community is that this certification is valuable for networking, for legitimacy, and for standing out in a highly competitive market,” he said.
Business groups support the bill, saying it may help the state gather more information on LGBTQ-owned companies.
Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul (D-Monmouth), who co-sponsored the bill, is among its supporters. She referred to the policy as another significant step in the state’s effort to promote justice and diversity.
She claimed that LGBTQ+ businesses are important to the U.S. economy but still face discrimination and difficulties obtaining funding.
Bergen claimed that the bill will hurt those who don’t want to openly reveal their sexuality. But Guardian had a message for the president’s critics.
From personal experience, I can tell you that in New Jersey, it was much more challenging to come out of the closet and say that I was gay than it was to say that I was a Republican.
The act received overwhelming support in both chambers of the Legislature, with only 11 full no votes.
