GALACTIC D&I CON’S MISSION

AND THE ORIGINS OF FOUNDING ORGANIZATION ‘GAAAYS IN SPAAACE’

‘GIS’ is proud to present the ‘GALACTIC DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CONVENTION’  (’D&I Con’)

‘D&I Con’ is the FIRST convention to bring together the worlds of Science Fiction and the actual Space Industry as seen from the perspectives of underrepresented communities in both.

Appropriately located in 'The City of Brotherly Love,' our inaugural convention will be held in the heart of Philadelphia, PA from May 5-7, 2023, at the Downtown Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The weekend will be packed with some of the most well-known and influential people from the space industry as well as actors from the most successful, globally recognized sci-fi franchises in the world.

They are all coming together under the banner of promoting the importance of equality and inclusion of underrepresented communities in both areas.

We are honored to have over a dozen of our most dedicated and supportive friends from the sci-fi world joining us as our very special guests, including DENISE CROSBY (STAR TREK: TNG), NANA VISITOR (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE), ROBERT PICARDO (STAR TREK: VOYAGER), PENNY JOHNSON JERALD (THE ORVILLE, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE), MARK JACKSON (THE ORVILLE), PETER MACON (THE ORVILLE), CHAD L. COLEMAN (THE ORVILLE, THE EXPANSE, THE WALKING DEAD), GARRETT WANG (STAR TREK: VOYAGER), JG HERTZLER (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE), ROBERT O’REILLY (STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE), CONNOR TRINNEER (STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE), DOMINIC KEATING (STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE), JOHN BILLINGSLEY (STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE), BONNIE FRIEDERICY (STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE), THOM ALLISON (KILLJOYS), BONNIE GORDON (STAR TREK: PRODIGY) & many more still TBA.

We’re also thrilled to welcome brand new members to the ‘GIS’ family. We will have several of the most incredible & accomplished members of the actual Space Industry as our very special guests, including MICHELLE HANLON (FOR ALL MOONKIND, CENTER FOR AIR & SPACE LAW), DR. CHANCE GLENN (SPACE FOR EVERYONE, THE MORNINGBIRD FOUNDATION) GREG HODGIN (ZC INSTITUTE, INC.) & many more TBA.

Among the many groundbreaking events we have planned, we are both extremely proud and humbled to be announcing the winners of our ‘INCLUSIVE SPACE ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP.’ (‘ISA’)

The ‘ISA’ is a program that will be sending LGBTQIA+ students (ages 15-18) interested in pursuing a career in STEM and/or the Space Industry, to Space Academy.

In addition, this initiative will also be establishing an ongoing mentorship program, available to all applicants, comprised of both virtual sessions as well as in person meetings.

We will also be taking a monumental step forward for the trans community by raising our ‘TRAVELING TRANS FLAG’ over the Philadelphia capitol building.

Designed to ignite national conversation, this initiative puts a spotlight on the current deficits of trans rights across the globe.

Our 8’ x 12’ trans flag has traveled the country, been signed by dozens of actors, astronauts, and scientists, and serves a symbol of support and demand for change from our public officials.

ABOUT OUR FOUNDING ORGANIZATION:

GAAAYS IN SPAAACE (GIS) is an LGBTQIA+ non-profit organization dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the Aerospace industry. Through entertainment and science-based advocacy we are boldly going where no one has gone before, beyond inclusion.

We work in conjunction with partners such as studios, actors, scientists, tech entrepreneurs and philanthropists to build a better and more hopeful future where diversity and inclusion are the foundation of society.

With our youth initiatives such as the Inclusive Space Academy, we take direct action to empower LGBTQIA+ youth to be the leaders we so desperately need. It can not be emphasized enough, the youth are our future. 

When working with allies and the general public, we strive to replace ignorance with knowledge and an empathetic understanding of the LGBTQIA+ experience. We strive to advance the hopeful vision of our future as dreamed up on STAR TREK & THE ORVILLE where universal equality has FINALLY become a reality. Sci-Fi is so powerful because it shows us the possibilities we often do not see off-screen and if you can see it, you can be it! Representation is often one of the first steps needed to inspire someone’s life path. 

From the beginning we understood just how vital community can be and Since our founding in 2016, we've hosted 200+ events which have spanned a dozen major US cities, featured over 60 celebrity guests, and have been attended by well over 20,000 fans.

Our brand of impact is fun and energetic. Everyone who has attended our events has left with a renewed sense of optimism for the future as well as a reinvigorated sense of purpose in continuing the ongoing struggle against bigotry, intolerance and hatred that remains all too present throughout the world. 

GIS has been endorsed and supported by THE ORVILLE’s SETH MACFARLANE & STAR TREK creator GENE RODDENBERRY’s son, ROD RODDENBERRY, who told GIS Founder & Executive Director DAN DEEVY that GIS was exactly the kind of organization that his father would have supported and that he’d be proud of the impact that it’s having.

It is important to note that our events are attended by people from every background imaginable; many are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but there are also just as many who are not. In the spirit of an inclusive future, everyone is welcome at our events!

We’re proud to say that GAAAYS IN SPAAACE events continue to be celebrations of unity and bridge-building for LGBTQIA+ Sci-Fi fans and all our straight allies.

In PHASE 1of GIS we focused on building a safe, inclusive and extensive community around hopeful sci-fi experiential events and parties. Now we are launching Phase 2  and have been working with organizations and insiders across the Aerospace industry to impact that arena and to ensure it impacts our community in meaningful and measurable ways. 

This combination of bringing together Hollywood and Aerospace to solve for diversity and inclusion is core to the GIS brand. 

Humanity stands at the threshold of the next great frontier, both in the LGBTQIA+ activist community of intersectionality and in the space industry where humanity is about to take our first real steps toward long-term and permanent migration into space. It’s not enough to simply get there but we have to be the better version of ourselves as we step forward. Let’s take these steps together as we boldly go…BEYOND INCLUSION.

To support our work, please consider making a fully tax deductible donation here: gaaaysinspaaace.org/donate-1