Support Pride and Diversity in SLO County!

Fifteen months ago, our 15-year-old wrote us a letter. In it, she shared that she felt her mind and body weren't aligning, and she told us she knew she was transgender.

About a year or so before that, I noticed some changes in her behavior. Our vibrant and social child seemed to be withdrawing. She avoided mirrors, often tugged at her t-shirts to cover herself, she avoided touch, and pulled back from people and activities she once enjoyed.

When she shared her feelings with us, we believed her, even though we didn't fully understand what it all meant. We loved her and wanted to support her in any way we could.

As our daughter began to embrace her true self, she decided to come out to her friends and at school. It was a challenging time. She faced losses, her friends unfriended her, those who said they would always be her friend distanced themselves. She faced bullying and ridicule. It was a lonely and very hard year.

Her dad and I were committed to learning everything we could to support her. Two things kept coming up: respect her pronouns and name, and help her find her tribe. This search led us to GALA—their website, social media, and support groups. At first, attending was daunting for her, so I signed up for emails and newsletters to keep abreast of activities, hoping that one day she'd feel ready to take that step.

One day, an email arrived seeking volunteers for Pride Month. Knowing my daughter's generous spirit and love for helping others, I thought this might be perfect. I signed us up for every event we could manage—seven or eight in total! That summer became a turning point. We met the most wonderful, kind, and accepting people. For the first time in a long while, we felt truly embraced and appreciated. Through these experiences with GALA members and volunteers, my daughter felt ready to attend a social group. She was nervous at first, but she left feeling energized and couldn't wait for the next one. That was four months ago, and now she never misses a chance to be part of GALA.

We consider GALA—the volunteers, the social groups, and the friends our daughter has made—to be nothing short of a lifeline. She's building her own tribe, a circle of support that keeps her going despite so much resistance. Returning to school this fall was incredibly tough. High school is challenging for anyone, but being transgender in an environment where you're seen as different requires a strength that's hard to fathom unless you've lived it. And with the current political climate, it's even harder. You'd think a 16-year-old wouldn't be so attuned to politics, but as my daughter says, "They want to erase me." That's an unbearable weight for someone so young to carry every single day.

The GALA center has become her sanctuary—a place to heal, to shut out the noise, to simply be herself without fear. When she's there, she can breathe freely among those who truly see her.

We are profoundly grateful for the GALA center, and we hope you'll join us in supporting them. I don't mean to sound dramatic, but these are truly dramatic times. GALA is a lifeline for our daughter and so many others. Let's be a lifeline for GALA so they can continue to help these amazing kids not just survive but thrive. Any donation even a small one will go a long way to helping me meet my goal for The Gala Pride and Diversity Center. I appreciate your time and effort in support our daughter and GALA!

Thank you!