Social Justice Policy
Immigration & Immigrant Protections
Brendan knows that when immigrant residents fear interaction with government, communities are less safe, public health suffers, and crimes go unreported – undermining everyone’s security. Now, as ICE continues its brutal crackdown in Minnesota, and another person has been killed in their interactions with ICE, it’s more important than ever to elect a congressperson who has a record of protecting immigrants and putting checks on ICE to keep both citizens and immigrants safe.
As a County Commissioner, Brendan has:
- Introduced a county resolution endorsing the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, which recommends limiting local participation in federal immigration enforcement — a measure intended to protect immigrant residents from deportation risks when seeking county and municipal services.
- Advocated for ending Essex County’s contract with ICE detention services, calling detention for undocumented entry fundamentally wrong.
- Denounced the inhumane detention of immigrants and the violations of due process associated with immigration practices.
Election Integrity
Brendan understands the importance of election integrity and has worked hard to ensure every eligible voter can participate and that every vote is counted accurately and transparently. With a President who has been willing to cheat the system and put pressure on state officials to undermine election results, New Jersey needs a member of congress who will fight for your right to vote.
As a County Commissioner, Brendan has:
- Championed election integrity reforms in the county (e.g., transitioning to vote-with-paper ballots with verifiable audit trails) to strengthen confidence in democratic processes.
- Advocated for
- The end of the “County Line”
- The adoption of a standardized, statewide ballot design.
- An established statewide uniformity in convention and endorsement processes.
- Wrote an Op Ed regarding Voting Rights
Civil Rights & Safety Policies
Brendan has led the fight on local gun control and gun violence issues, passed policies to assist those suffering from homelessness, and worked to make our public spaces safer.
As a County Commissioner, Brendan has:
- Chaired Essex County’s Anti-Gun Violence Committee and supported stronger vendor accountability for firearms sales — framed as a public safety and community protection measure.
- Championed policies like banning smoking in county parks and supporting public recreation spaces, linking health promotion to community well-being.
- Supported initiatives aimed at assisting those experiencing homelessness championed policies that make our streets safer by preventing the root cause of homelessness – economic crisis.
Gender Identity & LGBTQ+ Rights
Brendan has a strong record of standing up for reproductive rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and civil rights ranging from fairer immigration practices, to anti-discrimination, to voting rights.
Brendan has consistently framed LGBTQ+ inclusion not as a “cultural issue,” but as a matter of public health, free expression, and equal protection under law – particularly for young people navigating identity in hostile environments. As a County Commissioner, Brendan has:
- Publicly condemned local efforts to ban books addressing gender identity and sexual orientation, framing such censorship as harmful to LGBTQ youth and highlighting research on how acceptance improves mental health outcomes for queer and trans teens.
- Backed the creation of the county’s first LGBTQ Advisory Board to help advise on community needs.
- Led the sponsorship of a resolution proclaiming June as LGBT Pride Month in Essex County, promoting recognition and equal rights for LGBTQ residents.
Reproductive Rights & Women’s Autonomy
Brendan knows that reproductive autonomy is inseparable from economic opportunity, healthcare equity, and women’s ability to fully participate in civic and professional life. He has consistently condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, and advocated for a constitutional amendment to codify a woman’s right to autonomy over her own healthcare decisions.
A testament to his dedication to these issues, Brendan has been endorsed by over fifty women leaders across New Jersey on issues ranging from healthcare, education, government, labor, and community advocacy.
A brief selected history Of Brendan Gill’s Record of LGBTQ+ Allyship and Advocacy:
Brendan Gill on Trandgender Day of Visibility 2025:
- Commissioner Brendan Gill thanked Sebold for championing the resolution, and Reginald Bledsoe and Montclair resident Kathy Ahearn-O’Brien for their “tireless advocacy.”
“Transgender and non-binary folks are our family, friends, and neighbors, and they deserve our support and respect,” Gill said.
“Here in Essex County, we will not tolerate injustice and hateful acts that target members of the trans community,” Gill said. “Instead, we choose to celebrate the trans community’s joy and accomplishments.”
Brendan Gill quoted by the Montclair History Center re: “Montclair Pride’s 21st Century Firsts”:
https://www.montclairhistory.org/new-blog/2022/6/17/montclair-prides-twenty-first-century-firsts
- While the flag-raising was a visible sign, within the week Montclair had also passed a series of reforms addressing LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. Commissioner Brendan Gill noted, “Montclair has had a tradition of inclusion for quite some time, but even with that tradition, we still have a lot of work to do. I can’t tell you how proud I was to see this governing body pass a series of reforms to make sure our LGBT community is not only protected, but included. We are trying to follow your lead at the county level.”
Brendan Gill speaking against LGBTQ+ book ban in Glen Ridge:
- Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill was among the first elected officials to defend the position of the Glen Ridge Library. “Few of our rights and freedoms capture the values of this country and ensure our democracy more than the freedom of speech and expression, and few institutions should embody those values more than government-funded public libraries,” he said. “That’s why the movement in Glen Ridge to ban books from the public library is so egregious, particularly when the subject of those books—gender identity and sexual orientation—speak directly to a person’s right and freedom to express who they are.”
Gill said the movement to ban certain books poses “a direct threat to the health and safety of our young people.”
“If you don’t believe that, consider this: According to a 2022 report from the Trevor Project, in the past year 40 percent of LGBTQ youth in New Jersey seriously considered suicide and 14 percent attempted it—yet the same research also shows that these statistics dramatically reverse themselves when LGBTQ youths feel accepted and supported by their families, communities and schools,” said Gill. “Our efforts should be directed at creating these communities of support and acceptance, not trying to silence viewpoints with which we don’t agree.”
Brendan Gill speaking to a crowd in Montclair at the 2024 re-raising of the Pride Flag after vandals tore down the original Pride flag:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1205139797178157
- “No act like this is going to divide us. No act like this is going to separate us. In fact, it is only going to bring us closer together. So yes: words matter, actions matter, symbols matter. And we are here to affirm that, to say that, each and every day. So please know…we’ll come back, next week, if we need to, we’ll come back the week after that if we need to, to send the message that we are not going to tolerate that. We are not going to tolerate it.”
Brendan Gill’s 2018 Pride Month Declaration as Essex County Commissioner:
- “I am proud to stand with our LGBT brothers and sisters in recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month, and look forward to continue working with this vibrant community to advance initiatives supporting equal rights for all,” said Gill. “Despite the divisive rhetoric we hear coming out of the White House, in Essex County we have always sought to unite our residents in common cause and common purpose. Essex County will continue to be at the forefront of advancing equal rights for all and celebrating our difference, not using them to divide one American against another.”
As a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ community, Freeholder Gill was the lead sponsor of the Essex County resolution calling on the New Jersey legislature to end state-sanctioned marriage discrimination against same-sex couples, and voted to create and appoint members to the first ever Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board.