Yale GALA wishes everyone a Happy Holidays and much peace and happiness in the New Year.  We hope to see you at our upcoming events which will include the 2017-2018 Brudner Prize and Lecture (Wed Feb 7 2018 at Yale and Thursday, Feb 8 in NYC), discussions of LGBT rights in the current political climate and networking/social gatherings.

Camila Concepcion Yale TC '14 asked us to send the following letter thanking all of us for our support of Yale's LGBTQ community and students:

"Of the several resources available for Yale undergraduate students, nothing quite changed the course of my college career like Yale GALA. As a first-gen, queer Latino at Yale, finding community felt somewhat difficult; luckily, the opportunities and support that GALA provided me ultimately gave me the strength and foundation to fully understand the complexity of my intersectional identities.

The impact GALA and its network have on student life at Yale are immeasurable. Meeting LGBT alumni during reunions every summer stands out as a defining moment of hope for the future during my undergrad years. Attending events during Trans Week and IvyQ allowed me to join the conversation with some of the most progressive authors and activists affecting change today. My classmate Hilary O’Connell’s recognition for her groundbreaking work in gender studies during commencement was iconic; similarly, GALA’s LGBT Studies Prize, http://lgbts.yale.edu/gala, gives the spotlight to queer voices in a crucially important way. Working with YAMP (Yale Aids Memorial Project) www.yamp.org, after graduation gave me the opportunity to live in Manhattan while interviewing gay alumni affected by the AIDS crisis, a first-hand education in a history that too often falls victim to generational erasure within our community. For these reasons and beyond, I look forward to the day that I can give to Yale GALA as much I have received.

 

If you find yourself able, please consider giving to an Association that is as diverse and far-reaching as the Alumni that belong to it. Take a look at Yale GALA’s upcoming events,http://www.yalegala.org/events.html, or take some time to explore some of the work students are doing with LGBT organizations around the world thanks to the Yale GALA Summer Fellowship, http://lgbtq.yale.edu/fellowships/gala. 

To make a tax-deductible donation, click here: https://donateyalegala.eventbrite.com 

or mail checks to:
Yale GALA, Inc.
c/o Tim Bertaccini, Treasurer
PO Box 207118
New Haven, CT 06520-7118 

(Yale GALA is run entirely by unpaid volunteers and 100% of all contributions benefit our programs. Thank you)

I know certain emails can be swiped through like spam, but if you’ve made it to the end of this one, thank you so much for your time and consideration.

All the best,