Scott Binnings, President of W&M gay and lesbian alumni association (GALA), gives his annual report. Check it out!

1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ben Boone ‘07
Paul Brockwell ‘07
Margaret Cook
Wayne Curtis ‘82
James Gochenour ‘84
Brian Lewis ‘91
Thomas Linneman
James Morton ‘12
Robert Tisdale ‘08
PRESIDENT
Scott Binnings ‘05
PAST PRESIDENTS
Stephen Snell ‘66
Michael Pemberton ‘85
Michael Rogan ‘81
Thomas Rowan ‘87
Steven Murden ‘74
Frank Edwards ‘85
Curtis Moyer ‘74
Joseph Price ‘93
Wayne Curtis ‘82
WWW.WMGALA.ORG  WMGALA@GMAIL.COM  @WMGALA
September 2013
When I wrote my first annual update as President of GALA a year ago, I stated that it had been a year filled with changes that would help our organization reach new segments of our alumni network. I am pleased to report that GALA has continued that momentum in 2013, building upon our more-than-25-year legacy of service to our alma mater, the College of William & Mary. Some highlights from the last year:
• We expanded our use of social media, growing our Facebook group to more than 135 members and initiating a Twitter feed that counts nearly 50 followers after just five months. (We even had a celebrity re-tweet!)
• We launched a new e-mail newsletter with a more polished look. Our newsletter is read by more than 300 people in nearly 20 countries.
• We hosted 15 events in Williamsburg, VA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY, introducing (and re-introducing) our students, faculty, and alumni to Pariah filmmaker Nekisa Cooper ’99, Eminent Outlaws author Chris Bram ’74, Professor Tom Heacox, and other notable alumni and faculty.
• We launched the Boswell Initiative, a fund that supports interdisciplinary scholarship on LGBTIQ life through visiting professors, courses, lectures, workshops, film series, student and faculty research stipends, academic written works, and arts/theater productions. The Boswell Initiative has received more than $16,000 in commitments through GALA so far.
• We welcomed Robert Tisdale ’08 (Treasurer) and James Morton ’12 (Secretary) as GALA officers.
• We helped the William & Mary alumni team for AIDS Walk New York raise more than $15,000, contributing to the team’s 20-year total of $235,000, more than any other college alumni group.
• We co-sponsored and announced events on campus to support the efforts of LGBTIQ student and faculty organizations, including the second annual LGBTIQ Pride Fest and Drag Ball and a financial planning seminar for same-sex couples led by the business school’s Mason Alliance.
• We supported our alumni and faculty in their quest for equal rights, contributing to the successful marriage equality effort led by Marylanders for Marriage Equality and helping to define and

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WWW.WMGALA.ORG  WMGALA@GMAIL.COM  @WMGALA
publicize the need for domestic partner benefits for employees of Virginia’s public institutions, including the College.
• We continued to support multiple GALA-initiated projects on campus, including the John Boswell Memorial Lecture Series and the Stephens LGBTIQ oral history project at Swem Library.
I am grateful for an immensely talented Board of Directors, my fellow GALA officers, and you, our members and friends, for your support in the last year. We could not have accomplished any of this without you. And GALA intends to keep the momentum going, increasing our following and offering new opportunities for alumni involvement. Our plans for the next year include:
• Launching a LinkedIn group, giving students and alumni a new forum for developing professional connections.
• Enhancing our ties to on-campus organizations, providing students with job, internship, and mentorship opportunities from alumni in their professional areas of interest.
• Providing sustained support to the Boswell Initiative, boosting opportunities for student and faculty research and scholarship on LGBTIQ issues in the academic community.
• And much more…
As an all-volunteer, dues-based organization, GALA depends upon loyal alumni and friends to support our mission. With that in mind, I ask your consideration of the following requests.
First, please join us at Homecoming! GALA has a full slate of events planned October 25-27. Please review the enclosed flyer, which contains information about our events, and pass it along. We hope to see you there!
Second, please sign up with us on social media. We increasingly use social media to communicate, and you might miss something if you are not in our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/wmgala/) or following us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wmgala). If you are not getting emails from our listserv, please also take a moment to email your contact information to wmgala@gmail.com so that I can update the list.
Third, please forward this letter and our information to anybody in your alumni network who may not be aware of our work. We are a group of several hundred; there is no reason we should not be several thousand.
Finally, please review the attached dues form and consider sending a personal contribution. We depend on the financial support of members to fund all of our programming, including events, venues, and contributions to other organizations and causes. A financial contribution in any amount will make you an active member of GALA!

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WWW.WMGALA.ORG  WMGALA@GMAIL.COM  @WMGALA
I look forward to leading the growth of GALA over the coming year, and I hope to see you in Williamsburg in October!
Sincerely,
Scott Binnings ‘05
President, W&M GALA
sbinnings@gmail.com

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WWW.WMGALA.ORG  WMGALA@GMAIL.COM  @WMGALA
27TH ANNUAL WILLIAM & MARY GALA
HOMECOMING CELEBRATION
OCTOBER 25-27, 2013
HOTEL
GALA has access to a block of rooms at the Springhill Suites Williamsburg, 1644 Richmond Road. The hotel is located close to the College near the intersection of Richmond Road and Bypass Road. Mention “W&M Homecoming” for the group rate of $129/night.
http://www.williamsburgsuiteshotel.com/
HOMECOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
Boswell Memorial Lecture
3:00 – 4:30 p.m., Tyler Hall, Room 102
This year’s Boswell Memorial Lecture Series Speaker is Kathryn Babayan, Professor and Director of the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan and an international expert on gender and sexuality in Islam. A reception will follow.
Homecoming Block Party
6:00 – 11:00 p.m., Alumni House and Richmond Road
GALA will have space at this annual Homecoming event, which features food and beverages for purchase, live music, and other entertainment. Look for the rainbow balloons!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
Homecoming Tailgate Party
Noon – 3:00 p.m., Sunken Gardens
GALA will have space at the main on-campus Saturday Homecoming event, giving alumni an opportunity to meet other alumni, mingle with students and faculty, and enjoy a (hopefully) beautiful October day in the Sunken Gardens. $20 registration payable to the W&M Alumni Association at http://wmhomecoming.com/#wm-events.
Annual GALA Reception
7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Tucker Hall Foyer
Join GALA in between reunion events for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and intimate conversation at the newly-renovated Tucker Hall in the center of old campus. We will hold a short program highlighting the year’s achievements and looking forward to the next year. Current students are welcome to attend!
Please RSVP for the annual GALA reception to wmgala@gmail.com no later than Monday, October 14, 2013.

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WWW.WMGALA.ORG  WMGALA@GMAIL.COM  @WMGALA
WILLIAM & MARY GALA MEMBERSHIP FORM
Thank you for joining William & Mary GALA! You are joining a vibrant, international network of loyal LGBTIQ alumni and friends of the College, and your involvement will make the College a more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant place for years to come.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name W&M Class Year
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
City State Zip Code
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email Address Twitter Handle
Level of Support: Please circle your preferred membership level.
Young Alumni $15 (graduated within 5 years)
Active $25-$99
Contributing $100-$249
Patron $250+
Do you know others who should be in GALA? Please take a moment and give us their names and e-mail addresses. We will include your name in the referral letter.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Return this form with your check (payable to “William and Mary GALA”):
W&M GALA Membership
c/o Wayne Curtis
3505 N. Calvert Street
Baltimore, MD 21218