Newswise — Newark, NJ – Rutgers School of Public Health dean, Perry N. Halkitis, has been appointed to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Advisory Commission, convened by Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark.

The Commission seeks to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals in Newark and New Jersey through collaborative partnerships with scholars, community leaders, and industry members.

“The physical, social, and emotional heath of LGBTQ individuals continues to be challenged in the United States. Successful efforts must address all aspects of health and include the implementation of laws that provide LGBTQ individuals the same rights and protections as their heterosexual peers,” says Halkitis. “I am proud to support the efforts of Mayor Baraka, which are aligned with national initiatives charged to improve the health of LGBTQ individuals and communities.”

Halkitis also sits on New Jersey’s “End AIDS Epidemic Committee,” which was announced by Governor Phil Murphey in December of 2018.

“I am proud to join Mayor Baraka and Governor Murphy in their steadfast commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in New Jersey,” says Halkitis, who is also the director of the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies at Rutgers. “These two committees and the recent legislation mandating an LGBT-inclusive school curriculum are strong steps towards destigmatizing HIV and other health disparities faced by LGBTQ populations. I hope that our work serves as a model for other states.”

###

The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s only accredited school of public health that seeks to improve health and prevent disease in diverse populations in New Jersey and around the world through educating students to become well-qualified and effective public health leaders, researchers, and practitioners; conducting research to advance public health science and policies; and providing service programs that promote population and individual health. Visit us at https://sph.rutgers.edu and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn how we're "keeping the ‘public’ in public health.”