Spring 2011 - First Semester for the GSA.
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First Event as a GSA!
The Glendale Community College Gay Straight Alliance (GCC GSA) was founded in the Spring 2011 semester by Jeremy Divinagracia (Former President) along with the current president Aryx Mijangos and with the help of our advisors David Attyah and Mark Gens. The club first began with a group of approximately 10 members who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons. We did meet some resistance. There was a the mysterious appearance of a pile of sugar and a religious pamphlet in our club space, but there was no violence or harassment involved. Members decided that the first event shouldn't be "out there" and visible to the general student body. The event turned out to be a small gathering of GSA members, friends and the GCC staff. It was at this event where we first premiered the magnificent and very famous GSA rainbow colored cake. The gathering was a success and it helped shape the direction of the club and give us a bit of visibility within a comfortable environment. It became a place of acceptance. It was a place where you could be who you wanted to be without fear of repercussion or backlash. This gathering not only shaped the GSA but it also showed us who would be the faithful members that have been with the GSA since the beginning.
Spring 2011 - First on-campus event "Spring Festival"
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Selling Skittles to GCC Students!
Our second event in the Spring 2011 semester was a small skittles sale along with our own personal DJ Linda, who added the soundtrack. It was successful but the desire to educate and the fight for visibility was still present in the GSA. The club was slowly growing and managed to gain more members and visibility through this event. But it was not enough. The GSA wanted to assure the LGBTQA students at GCC that there was a place where they could find support, camaraderie and acceptance. The fears of being discriminated against were not present or at least visible. This helped the GCC GSA gain more members and gave the GSA some visibility. But there were still some confused eyebrows raised at the sound of the word “gay”, or the sight of a rainbow.
Pride 2011 - First LA Pride as a GSA
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Members of the GSA at LA Pride 11!
The semester may have ended but a few members decided to show their support for their community and head to the Annual Los Angeles Pride Parade in June. For many, it was their first attendance of the event. There was excitement all over. It was not a school sponsored event but the GSA members proved that the friendship and support for each other went beyond the campus. The LA Pride Parade might have been a fun out of school event but emotionally this mini field trip to West Hollywood created a loving and caring atmosphere among us.
Fall 2011 - The Harvest Festival
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Selling our Signature Rainbow Cupcakes!
The following semester (Fall 2011) the GCC GSA was once more summoned by the new president Aryx Mijangos and new vice-president Harrison Martin-Sandoval. During this semester the club participated in a Student Government sponsored event named The Harvest Festival, where all the clubs at GCC had a chance to make their presence be known and have a chance to fundraise. The GSA was finally ready to make its presence. The club filled a table with the famous rainbow cupcakes and the always present skittles sale. Other students stopped by, asked questions and the club received a batch of new members. This event gave the GCC GSA the visibility and respect it needed. With every successful event came room for improvement. The GSA’s vision began to take shape and every event was reason to outdo the others.
October 20th 2011 - "Spirit Day"
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Celebrating "Spirit Day" as a GSA!
Following the success of the Harvest Festival the GSA also sponsored a small event where pamphlets, candy and small handmade ribbons (made by Jen Halliday and the members of Knaute Couture Club) were given in remembrance of the victims of bullying and homophobia and to bring awareness to the problem. The ribbons were given to staff members and the student body.
Fall 2011 - "AIDS Walk LA"
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GSA Members at the AIDS walk 2011!
During Fall 2011 the club also gathered outside the campus and participated in the AIDS Walk LA. It was an unofficial event; but it was an opportunity to become better acquainted with the new members. At the same time it was also a great an opportunity to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS.
Spring 2012 - Second Annual "Harvest Festival"
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Spring 2012 rolled into gear and we received new members, with president Aryx Mijangos and former treasurer and new vice president Manuela García Amaya. This time the GSA started participating in the Student Government sponsored Spring Festival. This time the club decided not only to have its usual famous cupcake sale and skittle sale, but brought awareness to safe-sex practices by handing out condoms. We also offered body paint and used some of our members as walking billboards to sell the cupcakes. This event definitely topped the Fall 2011 Harvest festival. The GSA gained more of the visibility that it needed and definitely made its presence known. At this point alliances we made started growing and the GSA became the club that one came to if one had questions about the LGBTQA community. We had people come up to us and ask us questions about the club and the community in general. We maintain an open mind and inviting attitudes
Spring 2012 - The Marriage Booth
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The Marriage Booth!
Just when we thought that the Spring Festival could not yield a better event, in rolled our last and most memorable event, the "monster event," as we like to call The Marriage Booth. It was a perfect way to promote marriage equality and a great opportunity for us to fundraise. The Marriage Booth gave the possibility to GCC students to "get married” to whomever they wanted (best friend, girlfriend, professor, etc). They simply posed for the camera with the aid of some props and as proof the newlyweds received a Ring-Pop. Along with the marriage booth, the GSA also sold their famous rainbow cupcakes, skittles, and made use of their human billboards and even offered body paint to anyone who wanted. It was our little Equality Carnival.
Summer 2012 - LA Pride
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GSA members at the LA Pride 2012!
After the Spring 2012 semester we attended our second LA Pride Parade. It was again an amazing experience; we had members who experienced it for the first time, once again. It was great to be there as a group, helping us make the already existing bonds a little bit stronger.
Fall Semester 2012 - "Trial" Semester
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GSA Karaoke Night!
This semester was an interesting semester because we created our club Website, where we made everything more interactive for our club members. Members are able to participate in the Discussion Board, Contact Us, know about our GSA, become part of a Committee, etc... We also had several events outside of school like Karaoke Night and our GSA Back to School Bonfire. This semester was interesting because we had more members, and our new members became more involved.
Spring Semester 2014 Club Rush
This years club rush was one of our most successful, what with a new cabinet as well as a whole new group of core members from the prior semester, there was a lot of help and support. We were able to recruit a lot of members who were thrilled at the idea of such a thriving GSA on campus. It really just went to show how much a group of students could accomplish with some persistence. |
Our GSA Club now...
Although we have had to go through struggles, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing how far we've come. Not only have we grown in number, but also in strength. The members know why they come to GSA and they know that we will always have a space for them to come and be themselves and discuss things in a safe environment without judgement. That has always been the GSA objective and to have finally reached is an amazing feeling. Thankyou to all the members over the years who have made it possible.
Written by Oscar Bruno.
Edited by Galen Harrill.
Edited by Galen Harrill.