Due to recent increases in COVID-19 vaccination rates, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) has decided to cancel its in-person 40th annual GLAD Summer Party, scheduled for this Saturday, July 24 — but they’re also moving the festivities online, as they’d done last year, with the online silent auction now extended to Aug. 7 and a virtual event to be held next month at a date yet to be announced.
GLAD’s Executive Director Janson Wu announced this afternoon:
We are at an important moment as we continue emerging from the COVID pandemic in the U.S. Vaccination rates are very high throughout Massachusetts and the rest of New England, and the vaccines are effective against transmission and in minimizing the severity of illness in the rare cases where transmission does occur. Public health guidance also provides confidence in the safety of holding outdoor events.
However, we also know that it is difficult and stressful for many to make decisions at this time about what is best given individual circumstances. With the news of increased cases in Provincetown, we don’t want to put our GLAD supporters in the position of making difficult choices to show their support for GLAD’s work. Your trust in GLAD is too important to us.
We are so proud and grateful for how our community has come together to support each other through this pandemic and we know that we will continue to do so as we emerge even stronger and with an eye toward equity and justice.
While we are cancelling the in-person events this weekend, we are not cancelling the fun – and we are certainly not cancelling GLAD’s commitment to working for full equality for you and for everyone in our community.
Our online silent auction has been extended through August 7, so you still have plenty of time to bid!
We will also hold a fun virtual event next month, to celebrate recent victories, talk about the work ahead, and commemorate the powerful work of our Summer Party Honoree, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP). You will also be able to bid from anywhere on amazing live auction items at this event. More details will be available soon on our website.
Your support is what makes everything GLAD does possible. We hope that you, your family, and your loved ones are well, and we look forward to seeing you both online and in person again very soon.
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