GALAS participates in Glendale Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk

On January 16, 2023, GALAS proudly joined the Glendale community in celebrating the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 2023 Glendale Peace Walk 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.

After a rousing rally at First Baptist Church of Glendale, the community proudly marched to the Glendale Civic Center. The event was capped with a festival featuring the various minority and underrepresented groups supporting the community.

GALAS remains committed to upholding Dr. King’s ideals and strengthening our solidarity with other marginalized groups. In his own words, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Asking our community about allyship.

GALAS members with CA Senator Anthony Portantino.

Congressman Adam Schiff gave a beautiful speech.

Brunch Fundraiser with GALAS

On October 1, 2022, we gathered with new and old friends, for a fundraiser for GALAS. This event was hosted by our ally, CA Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian. We were joined by the GALAS community — founding members, former board members, the next generation of our leaders, and allies. This fundraiser also served as an opportunity to meet the LA community, which will help us expand our programming and services.

We were honored with certificates from Assemblymember Nazarian, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian.

We were thrilled to welcome local changemakers Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, West Hollywood City Councilmembers Lindsay Horvath and John Erickson, Glendale Board of Education member Shant Sahakian and Board President Nayiri Nahabedian, Glendale City Clerk Dr. Suzie Abajian, Burbank Board of Education member Steve Ferguson, Los Angeles County Assessor Jefferey Prang, and representatives from the offices of L.A. County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis.

During the event, the GALAS Board of Directors shared about our vision for the future of the organization. We were honored to also hear from Assia Pezeshkian, mother of beloved GALAS community member Nyrie Gharibian, and Eric. K, our recent GALAS scholarship recipient, and GALAS member Azad Mazmanian.

We want to extend a special thank you to Assemblymember Nazarian, his wife Diana, and Steve Ferguson, who worked closely with us to make this event happen. We look forward to making this an annual event.

Armenian LGBTQ+ Awareness Mental Health Symposium

The Armenian Mental Health Symposium took place on virtual level via ZOOM uniting professionals and community members on issues specific for Armenian Community. The virtual conference was on January 27, 2022. There was no charge to attend. This phase of the project was centered on LGBTQ issues in Armenian Community. The four parts of the symposium offer a wide interpretation of themes by the group of presenters, based on their interests and academic backgrounds. Not only is this an opportunity for our community members to learn more about topics related to mental health from experts they probably would not have a chance to meet otherwise, it allows the general public to attend a professional conference at no cost and ask questions even after. All the questions asked will be answered by professionals on our social pages. To speak to a mental health professional, we advise you to call LAC DMH hotline outlined on our website; www.armenianmentalhealth.com