 | |
| Founded | 1998 (1998) (as Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society) |
|---|---|
| Type | Advocacy organization |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) organization |
| Focus | |
| Location | |
Region served | Southern California |
| Methods | |
| Affiliations | Armenian Justice Coalition |
| Website | www |
GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society (formerly Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society) is one of the firstLGBTQIA+ rightsnon-governmental organizations founded byArmenian Americans. GALAS was founded in 1998 and is headquartered inWest Hollywood, California. Its mission is to serve and support the needs oflesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender andqueer individuals ofArmenian descent, to promote theirhuman rights protection, and to advocate for the change of public policy around LGBTQ+ issues.[1]
GALAS is a501(c)(3)non-profit organization.[2] GALAS runs various programs and provides a wide range of services to members of the LGBT community, including emergency response, mental health resources, cultural events, and educational resources.[3]
GALAS' Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization.[2]
In 1998, GALAS was founded inLos Angeles County, California.[4]
In January 1999, GALAS held its first election to fill the seven seats on the newly created Board of Directors, and the original organizational bylaws were ratified.[5]
In 2001, members of GALAS joined members ofQ-Hye inSan Francisco to form the first Armenian contingency ever to march in theSan Francisco Pride parade. In total, 25 members of both organizations carried banners andArmenian flags down Market Street.[6]
In 2002, GALAS participated for the first time inLos Angeles Pride, where the organization hosted an information booth featuringArmenian music, pictures, and maps of Armenia. Volunteers handed out informative brochures about GALAS,Armenian history, and gay Armenian life.[7]
In 2007, following the assassination of journalistHrant Dink inIstanbul, GALAS hosted a panel discussion featuring reexamining the social and political environment inTurkey. Participants includedArmenian National Committee of America Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian. During the question and answer session, the audience discussed their concerns regardingArmenian Genocide recognition.[8]
In 2008,Herbert Hoover High School inGlendale, California planned aDay of Silence commemoration to recognize how LGBT+ youth have been "silenced" by harassment and bullying in schools. In response to an ensuing local campaign to keep children out of school on that day, Haig Boyadjian, then the President of GALAS, wrote a letter to the editor of theGlendale News-Press, stating "We want to state unequivocally that the handful of Armenian parents who were vitriolic in their opposition to the Day of Silence do not represent the entire Armenian community. Homosexuality not only exists, it exists within the Armenian community. The members of gay and lesbian society are the children and grandchildren of the Armenian community. We are lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender and there is nothing wrong with us."[9]
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In 2009, GALAS hosted a conference at West Hollywood'sPlummer Park, entitled "The Road to Equality: The Past, Present and Future of the Gay Rights Movement," which concentrated on the aftermath ofCalifornia Proposition 8 — which bannedsame-sex marriage in California — and ongoing cases in theCalifornia Supreme Court. The guest panel included attorneys fromLambda Legal, representatives from theLos Angeles LGBT Center, and managers of Vote for Equality Campaign, who discussed the various aspects of Proposition 8, including social, cultural and legal. The success of Proposition 8 was contrasted with the failure of the 1976Briggs Initiative, which sought to ban gays and lesbians from working in California's public schools. Also discussed was GALAS' future, and its role in protecting LGBT+ civil rights.[10]
In 2010, GALAS again held a conference at Plummer Park, this time entitled "Breaking Through: Legally, Politically, Culturally." Speakers from Lambda Legal andEquality California discussed the current status of efforts to overturn Proposition 8, SB 906 (Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act).[11]
The Armenian National Committee of America's Raffi Hamparian stated:
The Armenian American community is a broad and diverse entity and one where all voices should be welcomed and heard. The political activism needed to advance justice with respect to the Armenian Genocide andArtsakh is needed from all segments of our community. That means we need the involvement of everyone in our community; young and old, rich and poor, those with a college degree and those with none, those who are gay and those who are straight, or those who were born in America or those who came to this country as immigrants. The rainbow of diversity in our community is a strength, not a weakness. We need to seize our diversity to advance our common cause for justice. This I believe.[11]
In 2010, GALAS raised over $5,000 forAIDS Walk, benefittingAPLA Health, anAIDS service organization dedicated to improving lives of people affected by HIV, reducing HIV infection and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy.[12]
During the early morning hours on 8 May 2012,Yerevan LGBT+ bar DIY was fire-bombed. On 15 May, a second attack occurred.[13] GALAS responded shortly thereafter, stating
The response by members of theArmenian Parliament has been equally atrocious. Artsvik Minasyan, who represents theArmenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), posted bail for one of the suspects who were charged with the fire-bombing. Afterwards, Minasyan said to Panorama news agency that the suspects '…acted the right way, in context of our societal and national ideals.' We reject his actions and call upon the Armenian Parliament and Dashnaktsutyun to reprimand Minasyan and condemn his actions. Furthermore, we seek his immediate resignation or removal from office for his incitement of homophobia, and his endorsement of hate crimes. We further request a statement from the Armenian Parliament and the Dashnaktsutyun stating that neither organization will stand by those who foster hate and intolerance. Let not those who have faced the reality of intolerance and hatred inflict it upon others, no matter what the 'context of our societal and national ideals.'
In 2017, Los Angeles Pride replaced its traditional parade festivities with aprotest against then-PresidentDonald Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ policies.[15] GALAS participated, declaring "We must rise together and be heard loud and clear - we will resist, we will win." This multi-ethnic and multi-religious coalition included organizations such asAPI Equality,Bienestar,Equality California,It Gets Better Project,JQ International, theLos Angeles LGBT Center,PFLAG,Satrang,Somos Familia Valle, andThe Trevor Project.[16]
GALAS denouncedFresno Unified School District President Brooke Ashjian's 2017 comments regarding the LGBTQ+ education requirements of theHealthy Young Act, which equated the LGBTQ+ community to the Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.[17] Also in 2017, GALAS authored an op-ed applaudingArpa International Film Festival’s screening of the films "Listen to Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred" and "Apricot Groves" after the two films, which contain LGBT+ themes, were slashed from the 2017 program for theGolden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival.[18]
During the 20th century celebrations, GALAS boardmember Lousine Shamamian was quoted as saying, "GALAS formed 20 years ago because people weren't willing to abandon their Armenian identity in order to explore the rest of who they were, and in particular the way they wanted to love. GALAS continues to exist in order to facilitate and support this safe space which we see growing to one day include the homes of all Armenians."[19]
In 2018, GALAS celebrated its twentieth anniversary at a gala hosted by comediansLory Tatoulian,Mary Basmadjian, andMovses Shakarian. For GALAS, 2018 marked a renewed pledge to building bridges between GALAS and other LGBTQ+ and Armenian community organizations, and the organization considered the creation of affiliate chapters to raise awareness in both Armenia and across theArmenian diaspora. Among those honored at the event were comedianJames Adomian and Mamikon Hovsepyan, executive director ofPink Armenia, an organization with which GALAS has closely partnered. Performances includedElement Band, known for their distinctive musical arrangements that preserve and popularize traditional Armenian songs.[4]
Following the August 2018 attack on nine LGBT+ activists at a private home in the Armenian village ofShurnukh, Haig Boyadjian, then the President of GALAS, stated: "TheArmenian government must once and for all take immediate steps to address the recent epidemic of violence targeting its LGBTQ citizens. We are deeply alarmed with the mysterious closing of criminal case regarding the violent attacks against 9 LGBTQ individuals last summer in the village of Shurnukh. The lack of action essentially condones and justifies future hate crimes against Armenia’s LGBTQ community. We are patiently waiting for Prime MinisterNikol Pashinyan to defend LGBTQ rights in the ‘New Armenia’ being forged and hope these senseless violent attacks will cease or at least be met with consequences under the law."[20] GALAS joined over 100 Armenian organizations and prominent individuals in issuing a public letter to the Armenian government as well as Armenian political parties, international organizations and churches calling on them to condemn the attack and to promote legislative and policy changes to grant equality and end discrimination against LGBT persons in Armenia.[21]
In November 2018, GALAS and theGlendale Library, Arts & Culture Department co-sponsored "Beyond Borders: Queer Pop-up Cafe," a moderated roundtable discussion intended to uncover common ground among various LGBTQ+ communities.[22]
In response to several hate incidents targeting Armenian and Jewish institutions in theSan Fernando Valley in early 2019, GALAS attended a meeting, hosted by California AssemblymembersAdrin Nazarian andJesse Gabriel, of religious and lay leaders from the Armenian and Jewish communities for an inter-community dialogue. The discussion focused on efforts to combat hate and discrimination of all forms.[23]
In the aftermath of theSecond Nagorno-Karabakh War, GALAS was invited to speak at the November 2020 launch of Kamee Abrahamian, Nancy Baker Cahill, Mashinka Firunts Hakopian, and Nelli Sargsyan's "Monument to the Autonomous Republic of Artsakh," anaugmented reality monument geolocated at the intersection of Artsakh Avenue and East Broadway in Glendale, California.[24]
In March 2022,YWCA Glendale and Pasadena,glendaleOUT andGlendale Unified School District social sciences teacher Patrick Davarhanian hosted a digital panel entitled "Improving Allyship For Armenian LGBTQIA+ Communities". Panelists includedYerevan State University professor Vahan Bournazian;Pink Armenia director Mamikon Hovsepyan;Right Side NGO founderLilit Martirosyan; Charachchi member Perch Melikyan; and Erik Adamian of GALAS,ONE Archives Foundation and Charachchi. Panelists relayed observations on human rights violations of LGBTQIA+ community members inArmenia, as depicted in the 2016 documentary "Listen to Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred". Panelists also highlighted responses from youth and advocates and presented a call to action to improve allyship for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults in both Armenia and the United States.[25]
In a June 2022 Pride Month article in theArmenian Weekly, GALAS President Erik Adamian stated that "The humans of GALAS affirm and accept each other, amidst hatred and division. We recognize that our journeys are also bigger than one person. When one of us is able to show up in the world authentic in our multiple identities, that makes it possible for others like us to do the same. The organization continues to provide invaluable tools for queer Armenians to invest in their own paths toward dignity and self-actualization."[26]
Following the October 2022suicide of Arsen and Tigran, a young gay couple in Yerevan, GALAS hosted a virtual support group, stating that "Despite our brave strides towards progress for LGBTQ+ Armenians, we are consistently subjected to blatant homophobia and transphobia from the larger Armenian community, resulting in unfathomable losses like those of Arsen and Tigran."[27]
In January 2023, GALAS co-sponsored the Glendale Peace Walk, aMartin Luther King Jr. Day event. The event gathered a coalition of local organizations dedicated to equality, includingBlack in Glendale,glendaleOUT, theGlendale Environmental Coalition, theGlendale Teachers Association, and theGlendale Tenants Union.[28]
In March 2023, GALAS hostedRight Side NGO founderLilit Martirosyan atGlendale Central Library for a public discussion on the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Armenia,discrimination andhuman rights violations, and how supporters living in the United States can support LGBTQ+ people living in Armenia.[29]California State SenatorAnthony Portantino presented Martirosyan with a Certificate of Recognition.[30] Other notable attendees includedBurbank City Councilmember Nikki Perez, Glendale City Councilmember Dan Brotman,West Hollywood City CouncilmemberJohn Heilman,Glendale Board of Education member Shant Sahakian,Los Angeles Board of Education member Rocio Rivas,[31] andSilver LakeNeighborhood CouncilmemberMaebe A. Girl.[32]
In April 2023, GALAS participated inGlendale Library, Arts & Culture's Armenian History Month celebration,[33] part of the library's Be the Change Series, a program "to build collective understanding of systemicracism, elevate the voices and stories ofBlack,Indigenous andPeople of Color (BIPOC)".[34]
In May 2023, in response to a series of anti-LGBTQ+ protests inGlendale Unified School District andLos Angeles Unified School District, GALAS, glendaleOUT and Somos Familia Valle released a joint statement denouncing efforts by some parents to undermine LGBTQ+ content within school programming and curricula.[35]
Ahead of an announced protest at a June 2023 reading of author Mary Hoffman's "The Great Big Book of Families” at Saticoy Elementary School inNorth Hollywood and following the burning of an on-campusrainbow flag,[36] GALAS released a statement that "Identities are formed at a very young age. It is critical to have expansive and inclusive language within schools that depict how different our identities, family structures and lives can be and how that is okay. LGBTQ+ children face a disproportionate amount of challenges, with amplified feelings of isolation and loneliness during teenage years. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ voices is a matter of saving lives; it is a matter of presenting children with critical support, rather than barriers, toward flourishing into healthy adults."[37] The LGBTQ+ counter-protest, which is believed to have outnumbered the protest, was coordinated by local organizations including GALAS, Somos Familia Valle and the San Fernando Valley LGBTQ Center. GALAS President Erik Adamian was quoted as saying "LGBTQ+ individuals exist in all cultures and communities and our representation and our voices being heard is not a matter of discussion, it is a civil right that was earned through decades and decades of LGBTQ activism."[38]
Ahead of a June 2023Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting, GALAS President Erik Adamian commented, "I think that the conflict at GUSD is definitely symptomatic ofthe larger anti-LGBTQ attacks that have been going on all over the United States. I would say that right now, more than ever, it is very important for us… to make sure that our voices are heard and make sure the message we have is for inclusion of LGBTQ people within schools and within curriculum. LGBTQ people exist in all cultures and communities. Denying their existence in any culture and any community directly harms students because it reinforces that they don't belong."[39] As a crowd of more than 200 — includingfar-right organizations such as theProud Boys[40] — gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters, GALAS joined organizations such as the Armenian American Action Network, Southern California Armenian Democrats and theLos Angeles LGBT Center in voicing support for the school district's LGBTQ+ policies.[41]
Following the June 2023 Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting, GALAS, Armenian-American Action Network, andSouthern California Armenian Democrats released a joint statement "calling attention to the collective safety of LGBTQ+ Armenians, the need for activeallyship, and the dangers ofalarmist and racist narratives about the Armenian immigrant population."[42]
In an interview withCanadian newspaperThe Globe and Mail, GALAS President Erik Adamian stated, "These attacks are presented as an exercise of parental rights. But they erase the voices of LGBTQ+ people. It is homophobic to say that LGBTQ+ content cannot be included in school curriculums. We have received hateful comments, and we have to think about the safety of our community. But we also know there is tremendous strength in us being together and organizing."[43]
GALAS submitted apublic comment in support ofLos Angeles County SupervisorLindsey Horvath's motion to study anti-LGBTQ+ incidents and additional measures the County can take to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ residents.[44]
Some progressive Armenian activists have noted similarities between anti-LGBTQ+ activism in their community and that inArab American,Latin and otherimmigrant communities in the United States – a development they considered the result of a "deliberatedivide and conquer strategy" bywhiteconservative activists.[45]
Following the July 2023killing of O'Shae Sibley, GALAS' statement noted that "Sibley's killing is part of a larger trend of worsening anti-LGBTQ+ violence. Queer and trans people, especially those of color, are among the communities which have seen the sharpest increase in bias-motivated violence. This violence — and the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from which it stems — has seen a worrying rise in recent years, and no community is exempt."[46]
Following the August 2023 killing inYerevan of Adriana, atransgender woman, GALAS called on non-LGBTQ+ Armenians to show allyship, stating that "While LGBTQ+ Armenians protect and uplift one another, allyship from the larger Armenian community is most integral in cultivating an equitable and just community that is welcoming and representative of all Armenians."[47]
In September 2023, GALAS celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary at a gala.[48] The event was emceed by comedians Mary Basmadjian and Andy Kenareki, and performers includeddrag queenAnoush Ellah and singer Krista Marina.[49]
On a March 2024 episode ofMike Bonin'spodcastWhat's Next, Los Angeles?, GALAS President Erik Adamian recounted the backlash to GALAS' 25th anniversary gala, stating "There were some campaigns that were carried out after [the gala] targeted towards how GALAS is, quote-unquote, 'desecratingArmenian culture and identity', and targeting many of the people were in attendance at the gala, and what was being performed there. And, somehow, GALAS' program at the gala became a topic of discussion for parents inGlendale Unified, and it's all been very surreal. It's all been very disheartening to witness."[50]
In response to the2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, GALAS, as part of the Armenian-American Justice Coalition, released a statement, calling "for all Armenians to remain united and focused as an Armenian diaspora community. We cannot afford more division. This is the time to protect all Armenians, so that we can continue to support our homeland. Our strength is in our people. We must build collectively and refuse to give up, as our people in our homeland are under attack."[51] GALAS submitted apublic comment in support of aLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors motion to providehumanitarian aid torefugees.[52]
In response to the2023 Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, GALAS, alongside organizations such asJewish Voice for Peace, joined the Rising Majority coalition in condemningIsrael's "occupation,apartheid,war crimes, andgenocide", noting that "our struggles are inextricably linked [withPalestine]."[53]
At theGlendale City Council's 2024 proclamation declaring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, GALAS Boardmember Shant Jaltorossian commented, stating “Our work as a cultural hub and resource group emphasizes the importance ofintersectionality in our fight for justice. GALAS will continue to build a loving community which celebrates our roots, both Armenian and LGBTQ+, as we advocate for a better, more inclusive future."[54]
In a July 2024 interview in the newspaperAgos, GALAS' mission was outlined as follows:[55]
Our struggle in Los Angeles should be analyzed in relation to the struggles of othermarginalized people. When we support the struggles ofimmigrants, people withdisabilities, people who are subjected tosexism andracism, we are supporting the LGBTQ+ struggle. We can take steps to changepatriarchal,nationalist andcapitalist systems. We can learn about the issue ourselves and enlighten our environment. We can make sure that at least one more friend is informed about the issue.
GALAS strives to connect with communities to learn their needs, and to collaborate on supportive programming for LGBTQ+ Armenians.
In March 2023, GALAS submitted a supportive letter in response to theOffice of Management and Budget's request for public comments on the initial proposals from the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards for adding aMiddle Eastern or North African category to theUnited States census.[56] In the letter, GALAS maintains the following:
In an interview withThe 19th, GALAS President Erik Adamian stated, "If you think about the number of Armenians here, and how many of us are queer, we are certain that with proper data gathering and census information we would be able to have access to a different level of information in terms of how large our community actually is, and how far and wide it reaches."[57]
GALAS has endorsedCalifornia State Assemblybill AB 2763, commonly referred to as the California MENA Inclusion Act, which would require theState of California to add a distinct MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) category for all state data and agencies.[58]
GALAS has provided assistance to the researchers at theCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Armenian Diaspora Survey in collecting data pertaining to LGBTQI Armenians in the United States. The report, published in May 2023, suggests that Armenian Americans, particularly under the age of 35, are supportive of LGBTQI inclusion in the Armenian community.[59]
[T]he study suggests that Armenians in the [United States] tend to be open-minded about wider societal issues. For instance, a question (Q25) in the survey is related to views on LGBTQI. The large majority of the respondents in the US (73%)... say, "Yes, one can be LGBTQI and be a part of an Armenian community." A higher percent (84%) of the 25-34 years old in the US were in the affirmative. About two in ten (US 16%) of the respondents said they do not have an opinion on the issue or "Don't know". Only about one in ten (US 11%) said, "No, one cannot be LGBTQI and be a part of Armenian community."
GALAS hostssafe spaces for discussion and understanding amongst LGBTQ+ Armenians and their communities.
The organization supports the expansion ofinterim housing for thetransgender/non-binary community, and encourage further development of permanenthousing, and has voiced support forCounty-operated shelters in theSan Fernando Valley.[60]
Since 2018, GALAS has hosted its ongoing "Soorj Session" events, which are guided roundtable conversations between LGBTQ+ Armenians, their parents, families and friends to explore understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities and individuals. These conversations are facilitated by mental health and social work professionals through the sharing of coffee (Armenian:սուրճ,romanized: soorj). Due to significant demand, Soorj Sessions are now a regular GALAS program, held every other month.[61] While the event was initially envisioned as youth-focused, organizers soon realized that parents and allies were also in need of the program.[62]
GALAS educates the community about LGBTQ+ issues for advancement and safety through presentation, collaborations, and expertise.
In May 2023, as part ofGlendale Community College'sPride Week, GALAS hosted a panel discussion. Panelists shared their stories and provided insight in how to best support LGBTQ+ Armenians.[63]
GALAS provides annual scholarships for LGBTQ+ Armenian and opportunities to for leadership advancement.
For nearly all of the organization's history, GALAS has offered academic scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students.[64]
GALAS hosts cultural events to celebrate Armenian heritage and to engage with the greater Armenian community.
In June 2023,Glendalepoet laureate Raffi Joe Wartanian hosted an evening ofpoetry readings andperformances by local members of the LGBTQ+ Armenian community.[65]
In 2018, GALAS, Abril Books, theRoslin Art Gallery, and ACE/121 Gallery collaborated to organize a series of LGBTQ-themed events, including an art show entitled "The Many Faces of Armenians: A Celebration of Queer-Armenian Art," in Glendale, California. Among the nearly 20 participating artists, most were Los Angeles-based. Their mixed-media work incorporated Armenian history and iconic symbols — such as the Armenian Genocide,Mount Ararat, andpomegranates — confronting duality of two cultures, but of being a gay immigrant, a minority within a minority.[66] GALAS Boardmember Lousine Shamamian was quoted as saying "For GALAS to be celebrating LGBTQ pride in Glendale — the heart of the Armenian diaspora — is a profound marker of the progress the LGBTQ Armenian community has made."[67]
In October 2023, GALAS hosted a visit to theHammer Museum's "BecomingVan Leo"photography exhibition.[68]
Also in October 2023, GALAS joined theMuseum of Neon Art's "Light in the Dark: Queen Narratives in Neon" exhibition,[69] with Boardmember Shant Jaltorossian participating in apanel discussion about LGBTQ+ connections toneon art and theGlendale, California community.[70]
In 2016, GALAS held a sold-out screening of the Armenian Genocide filmThe Promise at theCinerama Dome on its opening night.[71]
Also in 2016, GALAS partnered with theArmenian Youth Federation to host a screening of "Listen to Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred," a documentary about Armenia's LGBT+ community. The screening served as a part of the official launch of the Armenian Youth Federation's United Human Rights Council's "Project Ser," a campaign to raise awareness about gender issues, sexuality, and LGBT issues.[72]
In 2024, GALAS served as a community partner forAmerican Cinematheque's "Three Homelands: ASergei Parajanov Retrospective," alongside organizations including theArmenian Film Society andSouth East European Film Festival.[73]
In May 2023, GALAS hosted author Taleen Voskuni for a discussion of her novel "Sorry, Bro" at 2220 Arts + Archives, in theWestlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.[74]
In July 2023, GALAS, in partnership withGlendale Library, Arts & Culture and Abril Books, hosted authorNancy Agabian for a discussion of her novel "The Fear of Large and Small Nations".[75] Reminiscing on this event, Agabian has stated that "GALAS has been really critical in resisting that backlash against the schools here that are participating inPride Month."[76]
Since 2021, GALAS has hosted Queernissage, a yearly open-air market inspired by Yerevan'sVernissage market, and featuring LGBTQ+ creatives ofSouthwest Asian and North African (SWANA) descent.[77] Through this event, GALAS aims to create a space for its community members to express and share their creativity with each other and with the public.[78]
At the 2021 event, then-Boardmember Lousine Shamamian was quoted as saying "One of the things that I noticed with all ofthe general action that was happening around Artsakh was that a lot of LGBTQ Armenians were actively engaging with the broader Armenian community. Prior to that, there was a separation of Armenian queer folks…they didn’t feel a sense of belonging to the bigger community.” A number of the vendors at the event began making their items as fundraisers for relief efforts in Artsakh.[79]
Armeniandigital media platform Miaseen featured the 2021 event in a series of videos named "Queernissage Profiles," which featured vendors at the event.[80]
Items for sale at the 2022 event included spices, jewelry, pottery, posters, books, and even food. Among the attendees was Glendale mayorArdy Kassakhian, who stated "If someone’s going to threaten this group of people, I’m going stand there with them and make sure I’m there and present and show myself as a mayor of a large Armenian community — saying that I am here to serve every Armenian."[81]
Queernissage returned in August 2023.[82]
In May 2022, the City of Glendale issued aPride Month proclamation honoring GALAS and glendaleOUT.[83]
At an October 2022 fundraiser hosted by California State AssemblymemberAdrin Nazarian, the organization and its members received awards and recognition from local elected officials, including Los Angeles County SupervisorsKathryn Barger andHilda Solis, and Los Angeles City CouncilmemberPaul Krekorian.[84]
In June 2023, the City of Glendale issued aPride Month proclamation honoring GALAS and glendaleOUT, as well as a commendation celebrating GALAS' twenty-fifth anniversary.[85]
Los Angeles County SupervisorLindsey Horvath awarded GALAS with a 2023John Anson Ford Human Relations Award, "for outstanding human relations projects and programs throughout theCounty".[86]
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