This year, the celebration for Pride Month at Los Altos High School was kicked off at the Gender Sexuality Awareness club (GSA) Pride Gala. Held last Friday, May 31, the event’s theme was “Fantasy” — attendants were encouraged to dress to the theme however they felt comfortable.
“It’s meant to be a safe space for queer people to dress in ways that would otherwise be difficult,” GSA president junior Mei Ozawa said. “But anybody is invited to have fun.”
“The event fits in with our greater hope of GSA being a place for LGBTQ people,” Trisha Bhattacharyya said. “We definitely try to bring representation to the community, and with the Pride Gala being an event where it’s all about celebrating self expression, I think it very much aligns with our mission.”
A large part of organizing the event was budgeting. GSA, having to balance between spending money for the event and keeping prices low, chose to prioritize the latter.
“It’s an expensive event to put on, but we want to have low ticket prices to make the event as accessible as possible,” Mei said.
Conversations about the Pride Gala started all the way in August. There were obstacles along the way, including communication, which according to GSA member junior Trisha Bhattacharyya, was “challenging.” However, it was a net positive experience for GSA members who worked on the project.
“Logistics were difficult to figure out, but it was really exciting,” Trisha said. “Seeing the Pride Gala come together at the end was absolutely the most memorable part.”
