GALAS – Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society
8721 Santa Monica
Blvd., Box # 654 West Hollywood, CA 90069-4511
Phone: (323) 203-1587
E-Mail: galas_la@yahoo.com
February 14, 2006

ARMENIAN LGBT GROUP BREATHES NEW PERSPECTIVE ON GENOCIDE

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 14, 2006 — The Gay and Lesbian Armenian
Society (“GALAS”) of Los Angeles will commemorate the Armenian Genocide
this year by focusing not only on the past but also recognizing
the present and taking action towards the future. At this year’s
commemoration, GALAS will go beyond mourning the loss of more than
1.5 million Armenians, who perished at the hands of the Turks during
the first Genocide of the past Century, by celebrating the survival
of the Armenian spirit in the generations that flourished after the
Genocide. GALAS’ commemoration will explore ways in which Armenians
have coped with surviving violent acts aimed at annihilating their
nation and how overcoming these types of barriers will continue
empowering Armenians to excel as a pivotal and vibrant culture in
today’s global community.

The commemoration will include a video presentation and an art exhibit
which depict the atrocities that occurred during the Genocide. Another
highlight this year will be the Victory Over Violence (“VOV”)
educational exhibit which helps promote an understanding of how victims
can triumph over violence. A performance piece presented by descendants
of Genocide survivors recounting family experiences will also be
included in the program. Lastly, the various themes of the evening
will be further explored during an informative discussion by a panel
of experts which will be followed by a question and answer session.

The commemoration will take place on April 22, 2006, from 4:00 pm to
8:00 pm at Plummer Park Community Center 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West
Hollywood, CA 90046. Admission to the commemoration is free. For more
information please visit our website at or contact
us at (323) 203-1587 or galas@galasla.org.

###