Pride Action Fund is building grassroots power across New Jersey to defend LGBTQ+ rights, strengthen our communities, and elect leaders who believe in dignity, safety, and equality for all.
New Jersey Is Our Home. We’re Protecting It Together.
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
New Jersey has long been a leader in equality, but that progress is under growing threat. Across the country and here at home, anti LGBTQ+ rhetoric is increasingly being translated into policy across our country and in our home state. We must act now to not only to protect our community but to ensure we continue to make progress.
Federal Threats
National leaders are advancing policies that weaken civil rights protections and attempt to erase LGBTQ+ people from public life.
Local Attacks
Organized groups are targeting New Jersey communities, pushing efforts to censor LGBTQ+ identities in schools and restrict access to affirming health care.
A Critical Moment
We cannot rely on past victories to secure our future. This moment demands organizing, advocacy, and action.
Our Mission: Real Results. Equal Rights.
Pride Action Fund is a 501(c)4 advocacy organization dedicated to building political power for the LGBTQ+ community in the Garden State. We aren’t just here to talk about equality — we’re here to secure it.
We believe every New Jerseyan deserves to live in a state that is safe, equitable, and free from discrimination. Our work is grounded in grassroots community advocacy that delivers tangible results for our families and neighbors.
Strategy in Action
- Grassroots Power: We mobilize a statewide network of advocates to hold elected officials accountable at every level of government.
- Legislative Advocacy: We lobby at every level of government across our state to pass proactive policies that expand protections and block extremist attempts to roll back our rights.
- Transparent Endorsements: We support candidates who make LGBTQ+ rights a top priority and champion our community through both their votes and their voice.
Meet The Team
We're not newcomers to this fight. With over 30 combined years in advocacy, community organization, and leadership, our team has been on the frontlines lifting the LGBTQ+ community toward equality and emboldening community voices across New Jersey.
We've learned that lasting change requires both bold vision and strategic action — and we're here to deliver both.
Elizabeth Schedl serves as Executive Director of Hudson Pride Center and Pride Action Fund, bridging direct services and policy advocacy to drive systemic change for LGBTQ+ communities. Since joining Hudson Pride in 2013, she has led a decade of growth that expanded access to affirming healthcare, social services, and cultural programming, while building sustainable infrastructure through strategic partnerships and public investment.
Through Pride Action Fund, Elizabeth channels her passion for justice into policy, advocacy, and civic engagement. She believes direct services alone are not enough and that lasting change requires bold leadership, community mobilization, and accountability at every level of government. Her work focuses on protecting civil rights, strengthening public health systems, and advancing equity across New Jersey.
Elizabeth serves on New Jersey’s Advisory Council on HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis and is a Council Member of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. In 2025, she was appointed by the Mayor of Jersey City as Co Chair of the Arts and Culture Policy Committee for the Mayor’s Transition Team, where she helps shape inclusive public policy and community driven governance.
Laura Bustamante is a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to public service, demonstrated through her extensive experience in political campaigns, strategic consulting, and grassroots organizing. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, a role in which she oversees the administration’s senior leadership team and spearheads the Mayor’s “People First” agenda focused on affordability, transparency, and inclusive governance.
A seasoned political operative, Laura most recently served as the Deputy State Director and Political Director for U.S. Senator Andy Kim. In that capacity, she led strategic engagement across the state and was credited as an instrumental part of building the people-powered movement that secured Senator Kim’s historic election victory in November 2024.
The Colombian native has compiled an impressive record of successful campaigns, including victories for Governor Mikie Sherrill, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, and Dover Councilwomen Karol Ruiz. Before her time with Senator Kim, she served as Vice President at Tonio Burgos & Associates, one of New Jersey’s most influential lobbying firms.
Beyond her government service, Laura is a powerhouse in grassroots advocacy as a Founder and Board Chair of Pride Action Fund. Under her leadership, this statewide Political Action Committee is committed to championing issues that build grassroots power across New Jersey to defend LGBTQ+ rights, strengthen communities, and elect leaders who believe in dignity, safety, and equality for all.
Bustamante’s political acumen and community impact have earned her significant recognition. She has been named numerous times to Insider NJ’s LGBTQ+ OUT 100 Power List, and is recognized as a rising star. Her commitment to expanding political participation across overlooked communities is evident in her work in Union County, where she helped organize and improve Latino voter turnout, as well as her service on the Board of Hudson Pride Center and the Steering Committee of the Latino Action Network.
Laura is the first in her family to graduate from college, holding a Master of Public Administration & Public Policy and a Master of Science in Protection Management (specializing in emergency management in urban cities) from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science & National Security from New Jersey City University.
Neil Abadie is a technology executive and political advocate with over 20 years of experience driving innovation across Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and emerging enterprises. Since 2015, he has served as a fractional CTO for companies in renewable energy and SaaS platforms, including his current role with Abundia Global Impact Group, and serves as Director of FieldGroove, LLC.
Neil’s career began at age 19 as the youngest technology employee at Lehman Brothers, where he worked as a software engineer before continuing at Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs. Throughout his tenure at these institutions, he led technology initiatives critical to business operations. He later served as Chief Technology Officer for SafeBus.
Driven by a deep commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and educational equity, Neil has devoted significant energy to political advocacy and community leadership. He served eight years on the board of Hudson Pride Center, New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ+ center, and was Ward E Captain for the Hudson County Democratic Organization from 2018 to 2021. He co-chaired LGBTQ for Biden’s North Jersey team and was recognized on the 2020 Insider NJ Out 100 LGBTQ list. He currently serves as a trustee for Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City.
Neil holds a degree in Information Technology and Network Security from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
