Hello,
Happy New Year and new decade! I hope you are finding 2010 to be filled with opportunities, successes, balance, and plenty of laughter. My name is Elicia Gonzales and I am the new Executive Director of GALAEI (Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative). We might have crossed paths recently or in the not-so-distant past, but I want to reach out to share a bit about myself and the exciting work taking place at GALAEI.
For 20 years, GALAEI has served as the only HIV/AIDS education program in the state of Pennsylvania whose primary mandate is to address the needs of Latino sexual minorities. Created by and for Latinos LGBT individuals, GALAEI has served as a bridge to historically separate communities of LGBT and Latinos. The organization has worked effectively to represent the needs of people within the LGBT and AIDS communities, as well as to meet the needs and concerns of LGBT people of color at risk for HIV infection.
I first learned of GALAEI about six years ago when I moved to Philadelphia from my hometown of Denver, Colorado. Growing up in Colorado, I always felt the need to compartmentalize myself as either a woman, a Latina, or queer. Standing in front of this table looking at people who represented various aspects of myself was incredibly moving and instantly gave me the feeling that Philadelphia was a place I could call my home.
Having worked in the Latino and LGBT communities for several years, I feel honored to lead an agency that for 20 years has played such an integral role in the fight to prevent the spread of HIV in Latino and LGBT communities in Philadelphia. GALAEI has endured some significant challenges during our tenure, especially within the past couple of years. Yet we are steadfast in our commitment to improving the lives of the people we serve through education, representation, and advocacy.
We owe a great deal of gratitude to you and others who have continuously stood by our side, believed in our mission, and provided support when it was needed most. I call on you now, more than ever, to unite with GALAEI as we work to positively impact the lives of Latinos and LGBT people who continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV. Let me know you’re out there. I would love to hear about the amazing work you are doing and determine how we can collaborate on this ongoing mission to help people achieve healthy and happy lives.
Also, be sure to mark your calendars for the GALAEI 20th Anniversary Celebration taking place April 16th, 2010 at the Gershman Y from 7-11pm! Please join us to reflect on our history of providing services to the Latino and LGBT communities and to support our efforts for the years ahead. Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Elicia Gonzales
Executive Director
elicia@galaei.org
(215) 851-1822
