GALAEI: A Latin@ Social Justice Organization will next week honor outstanding Latino leaders and organizations at its annual awards ceremony named for its founder: the David Acosta Revolutionary Leadership Awards.
The sixth-annual DARLA event will take place 6-9 p.m. April 24 at Crane White Space, 1427 N. Second St. Tickets are $75.
This year’s theme celebrates “transitions and coming out.” The past year held its own transitions for GALAEI: the passing of former executive director Gloria Casarez and GALAEI founder Acosta leaving the HIV/AIDS field after more than three decades, as well as the launch of a new logo and brand image and the organization’s upcoming move to North Philadelphia.
“We are really excited about this year’s transitions and recognize that coming out in 2015 is going to look and feel different,” said GALAEI executive director Elicia Gonzales.
Ada Bello will receive the DARLA this year. Bello, who migrated from Cuba in 1959, was one of Philadelphia’s early LGBT civil-rights leaders. She helped found Daughters of Bilitis and the Homophile Action League, and participated in the last of the Annual Reminder Day protests held in front of Independence Hall.
“Ada is really a lifelong activist for LGBT communities and, given that this is the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminder Day celebration, the award couldn’t be more timely,” Gonzales said. “As a Cuban lesbian, she was really on the forefront of advocating for LGBT issues long before people realized there was such inequality.”
The DARLA Youth award will be presented to 23-year-old Erika Guadalupe Nunez. Nunez has channeled much of her youthful energy back into the community, especially in helping undocumented immigrants. She has worked with the Migrant Power Movement and the National Immigrant Youth Alliance and was part of an effort that brought back six young, undocumented immigrants who qualified for the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program but were deported before it took effect in 2012.
“Erika is wise beyond her years,” Gonzales said. “She has so much energy, passion and wisdom for social justice for queer Latinos. We wanted this award to recognize how much she has accomplished at such a young age, and inspire her and others to continue to do so.”
Juntos, a Latino immigrant human-rights organization, will be honored with the DARLA Community award. Juntos recently started working more closely with the LGBT community and created a special LGBT committee.
“GALAEI wants to be like Juntos when we grow up,” Gonzales said. “They have a very compelling, inspiring way of getting things done — and it’s all driven by the community.”
For more information or to purchase DARLA tickets, visit www.galaei.org.