Allyria Vazquez

Allyria Vazquez (She/Her)- SPLAT Program Coordinator

Allyria Vazquez (She/Her) is one of our Program Coordinators and Philadelphia’s Best Night Life Entertainers. She is known as the amazing host of the viral social media series “Lyly On The Street” which occurs during Philadelphia’s Annual Pride and OURfest Festival where Allyria gets community members input about Today’s Pop Culture and contemporary topics. She also facilitates a variety of groups that support in prioritizing oneself and providing access to the resources available through Galaei’s different programs POP, SPLAT and TINGS who offers different services in order to pursue our mission of serving the QTBIPOC Community. 

These groups consist of the following:

Audiobook:Audio/E-book is geared towards PLHIV who are living with ADHD, who experience barriers because disabilities make it difficult for them to fully enjoy reading books. As a person with lived experience with ADHD I have envied people who can read novels because it takes me a while to finish a page and comprehend that page. Each week our group will gather to listen to the book of our choice and follow along with the book in our possession which will act as if we have the subtitles. Book selections include mature topics and discussions afterward focus around sex positivity as a means to combat stigma and increase awareness.  16+ with parent permission from the minors. 

Code Grindr:“Code Grindr” is a discussion group weekly on Wednesdays. The purpose of this group will be to discuss the negative effects hook-up apps have on the community such as:

  • The stigmatizing language that PLHIV experiences on the apps. 
  • The harmful and violent language people on the apps use towards poz individuals. 
  • The racism/colorism we experience on these apps.
  • The outdated language that is used surrounding everyone who falls under the trans umbrella.
  • How “DL” individuals affect the mental state of queer people and how we shape ourselves to appeal to this toxic masculinity they portray.
  • The importance of understanding what grooming is and how that has affected the LGBTQIA+ community.  
  • How to spot grooming techniques and what we can do to SHUT IT DOWN.
  • Safety precautions when going to “link” with someone you have never met before from the app.
  • How IMPORTANT boundaries are
  • The role 

These discussions empower marginalized communities to find solutions to bring awareness and make it a safer environment for those around us and ourselves. This group will be geared towards 18+ groups. This will enforce us to maintain control and mature conversations. 

Creative Function: Are you a creative person who just simply needs a space to work? A writer who needs a space to be free? A musician who needs to practice? A performer who needs to rehearse? GALAEI will be holding a “creative functioning” space for artists of any kind to come and use our building to help culminate your fine craft! Creative Function is an all ages group which welcomes all QTBIPOC individuals who are living with HIV as they are oftentimes left out of, not affirmed, and unable to develop their art in many creative spaces to share their stories through art and expression. We hold a safer space for any and everyone to perfect their craft and tell their story in any sort of creative outlet.

Theatre Studies: Broadway shows and just theatre shows in general are NOT accessible to the large public. They place these shows in very gentrified areas with an ungodly cost to see them at a location that is too far for the low income community members. This artform NEEDS to be accessible to the masses. BroadwayHD.com is a wonderful streaming service that records VERY IMPORTANT theatre shows talking about race, gender and sexuality, living life as a positive individual and more. We will watch one broadway show a week and discuss it. We will also be reading plays and reading certain passages containing all walks of life with the hope to put on a cabaret of some sort. This will allow people to express their interest in theatre and acting while exposing them to the world of theatre and live performing arts. This will be geared towards 18 and up as many shows deal with very mature topics. (16+ with parent permission.)