1990s In 1998, GALAS was founded in
Los Angeles County, California. 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.
2000s In 2001, members of GALAS joined members of
Q-Hye in
San Francisco to form the first Armenian contingency ever to march in the
San Francisco Pride parade. In total, 25 members of both organizations carried banners and
Armenian flags down Market Street. In 2002, GALAS participated for the first time in
Los Angeles Pride, where the organization hosted an information booth featuring
Armenian music, pictures, and maps of Armenia. Volunteers handed out informative brochures about GALAS,
Armenian history, and gay Armenian life. In 2007, following the assassination of journalist
Hrant Dink in
Istanbul, GALAS hosted a panel discussion featuring reexamining the social and political environment in
Turkey. Participants included
Armenian National Committee of America Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian. During the question and answer session, the audience discussed their concerns regarding
Armenian Genocide recognition. In 2008,
Herbert Hoover High School in
Glendale, California planned a
Day 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 the
Glendale 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."
California Proposition 8 In 2009, GALAS hosted a conference at West Hollywood's
Plummer Park, entitled "The Road to Equality: The Past, Present and Future of the Gay Rights Movement," which concentrated on the aftermath of
California Proposition 8 — which banned
same-sex marriage in California — and ongoing cases in the
California Supreme Court. The guest panel included attorneys from
Lambda Legal, representatives from the
Los 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 1976
Briggs 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.
2010s In 2010, GALAS again held a conference at Plummer Park, this time entitled "Breaking Through: Legally, Politically, Culturally." Speakers from Lambda Legal and
Equality California discussed the current status of efforts to overturn Proposition 8, SB 906 (Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act). The Armenian National Committee of America's Raffi Hamparian stated: In 2010, GALAS raised over $5,000 for
AIDS Walk, benefitting
APLA Health, an
AIDS service organization dedicated to improving lives of people affected by HIV, reducing HIV infection and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy.
2012 DIY Firebombing During the early morning hours on 8 May 2012,
Yerevan LGBT+ bar DIY was fire-bombed. On 15 May, a second attack occurred. GALAS responded shortly thereafter, stating
Presidency of Donald Trump In 2017, Los Angeles Pride replaced its traditional parade festivities with a
protest against then-President
Donald Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ policies. 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 as
API Equality,
Bienestar,
Equality California,
It Gets Better Project,
JQ International, the
Los Angeles LGBT Center,
PFLAG,
Satrang,
Somos Familia Valle, and
The Trevor Project. GALAS denounced
Fresno Unified School District President Brooke Ashjian's 2017 comments regarding the LGBTQ+ education requirements of the
Healthy Young Act, which equated the LGBTQ+ community to the Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. Also in 2017, GALAS authored an op-ed applauding
Arpa 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 the
Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival.
20th Anniversary Celebrations 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." In 2018, GALAS celebrated its twentieth anniversary at a gala hosted by comedians
Lory Tatoulian,
Mary Basmadjian, and
Movses 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 the
Armenian diaspora. Among those honored at the event were comedian
James Adomian and Mamikon Hovsepyan, executive director of
Pink Armenia, an organization with which GALAS has closely partnered. Performances included
Element Band, known for their distinctive musical arrangements that preserve and popularize traditional Armenian songs. 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.
Inter-community dialogue In November 2018, GALAS and the
Glendale 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. In response to several hate incidents targeting Armenian and Jewish institutions in the
San Fernando Valley in early 2019, GALAS attended a meeting, hosted by California Assemblymembers
Adrin Nazarian and
Jesse 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.
2020s Second Nagorno-Karabakh War In the aftermath of the
Second 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," an
augmented reality monument geolocated at the intersection of Artsakh Avenue and East Broadway in Glendale, California.
Solidarity with other organizations and causes In March 2022,
YWCA Glendale and Pasadena,
glendaleOUT and
Glendale Unified School District social sciences teacher Patrick Davarhanian hosted a digital panel entitled "Improving Allyship For Armenian LGBTQIA+ Communities". Panelists included
Yerevan State University professor Vahan Bournazian;
Pink Armenia director Mamikon Hovsepyan;
Right Side NGO founder
Lilit 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 in
Armenia, 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. In a June 2022 Pride Month article in the
Armenian 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." Following the October 2022
suicide 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." In January 2023, GALAS co-sponsored the Glendale Peace Walk, a
Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. The event gathered a coalition of local organizations dedicated to equality, including
Black in Glendale,
glendaleOUT, the
Glendale Environmental Coalition, the
Glendale Teachers Association, and the
Glendale Tenants Union. In March 2023, GALAS hosted
Right Side NGO founder
Lilit Martirosyan at
Glendale Central Library for a public discussion on the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Armenia,
discrimination and
human rights violations, and how supporters living in the United States can support LGBTQ+ people living in Armenia.
California State Senator Anthony Portantino presented Martirosyan with a Certificate of Recognition. Other notable attendees included
Burbank City Councilmember Nikki Perez, Glendale City Councilmember Dan Brotman,
West Hollywood City Councilmember
John Heilman,
Glendale Board of Education member Shant Sahakian,
Los Angeles Board of Education member Rocio Rivas, and
Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilmember Maebe A. Girl. In April 2023, GALAS participated in
Glendale Library, Arts & Culture's Armenian History Month celebration, part of the library's Be the Change Series, a program "to build collective understanding of systemic
racism, elevate the voices and stories of
Black,
Indigenous and
People of Color (BIPOC)".
Response to anti-LGBTQ+ campaign in Los Angeles County school districts In May 2023, in response to a series of anti-LGBTQ+ protests in
Glendale Unified School District and
Los 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. 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 in
North Hollywood and following the burning of an on-campus
rainbow flag, 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." 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." Ahead of a June 2023
Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting, GALAS President Erik Adamian commented, "I think that the conflict at GUSD is definitely symptomatic of
the 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." As a crowd of more than 200 — including
far-right organizations such as the
Proud Boys — gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters, GALAS joined organizations such as the Armenian American Action Network, Southern California Armenian Democrats and the
Los Angeles LGBT Center in voicing support for the school district's LGBTQ+ policies. Following the June 2023 Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting, GALAS, Armenian-American Action Network, and
Southern California Armenian Democrats released a joint statement "calling attention to the collective safety of LGBTQ+ Armenians, the need for active
allyship, and the dangers of
alarmist and racist narratives about the Armenian immigrant population." In an interview with
Canadian newspaper
The 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." GALAS submitted a
public comment in support of
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath's motion to study anti-LGBTQ+ incidents and additional measures the County can take to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ residents. Some progressive Armenian activists have noted similarities between anti-LGBTQ+ activism in their community and that in
Arab American,
Latin and other
immigrant communities in the United States – a development they considered the result of a "deliberate
divide and conquer strategy" by
white conservative activists.
Response to increase in racist and transphobic violence Following the July 2023
killing 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." Following the August 2023 killing in
Yerevan of Adriana, a
transgender 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."
25th Anniversary Celebrations In September 2023, GALAS celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary at a gala. The event was emceed by comedians Mary Basmadjian and Andy Kenareki, and performers included
drag queen Anoush Ellah and singer Krista Marina. On a March 2024 episode of
Mike Bonin's
podcast ''What'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, 'desecrating
Armenian 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 in
Glendale Unified, and it's all been very surreal. It's all been very disheartening to witness."
Response to 2023 attacks on Artsakh and Gaza In response to the
2023 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." GALAS submitted a
public comment in support of a
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors motion to provide
humanitarian aid to
refugees. In response to the
2023 Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, GALAS, alongside organizations such as
Jewish Voice for Peace, joined the Rising Majority coalition in condemning
Israel's "
occupation,
apartheid,
war crimes, and
genocide", noting that "our struggles are inextricably linked [with
Palestine]."
2024-present At the
Glendale 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 of
intersectionality 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." In a July 2024 interview in the newspaper
Agos, GALAS' mission was outlined as follows: Our struggle in Los Angeles should be analyzed in relation to the struggles of other
marginalized people. When we support the struggles of
immigrants, people with
disabilities, people who are subjected to
sexism and
racism, we are supporting the LGBTQ+ struggle. We can take steps to change
patriarchal,
nationalist and
capitalist 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. == Programs and services ==