From T.I.N.G.S. to the Top: Hazel Edwards Officially Takes the Helm at GALAEI
In a city where grassroots organizing and chosen family often intersect, Hazel Edwards’ leadership journey at GALAEI feels less like a career climb and more like a community evolution.
On March 24, 2026, Edwards was officially appointed Executive Director of the QTBIPOC radical social justice organization, a role she had already been stepping into long before the title became permanent. She is the first Black trans woman to lead GALAEI in the organization’s 37-year history.
Starting with T.I.N.G.S.
Edwards joined GALAEI as Program Manager of the organization’s T.I.N.G.S. Program, short for Trans, Intersex, Non-binary and Gender Non-conforming Services. The program focuses on advocating for access to trans-competent care, a need that remains urgent in Philadelphia and across the country.
From the start, Edwards brought more than administrative skill to the role. A Black trans woman raised in West Philly, she carried lived experience into every training, healing circle, and workshop.
Under her leadership, T.I.N.G.S. continued to expand community-centered offerings, including:
- All About the T, a support group creating healing space for trans and non-binary community members.
- Yes Means Yes, consent education workshops tailored to different age groups.
- From Top to Bottom, sexual health education that blends anatomy, STI awareness, and pleasure-positive dialogue.
A Builder, Educator, and Policy Advocate
Edwards’ organizing roots run deep in Philadelphia. In 2016, she helped co-author the School District of Philadelphia’s Policy 252, which established protections for transgender and gender nonconforming students. She later worked as a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, analyzing interviews with trans students, research that culminated in the publication of “Risk, Resilience, Resistance and Situated Agency of Trans High School Students.”
That blend of policy, research, and lived experience would shape her leadership trajectory at GALAEI.
Edwards rose to Director of Programs, overseeing the organization’s broader portfolio, including POP and SPLAT alongside T.I.N.G.S. She later stepped into the Interim Executive Director role during a period of transition following the departure of Tyrell Brown, who left to become Philadelphia’s Executive Director of the Office of LGBT Affairs.
On March 24, GALAEI officially announced the “interim” label had been removed.
Leadership in a Critical Moment
Edwards takes the helm at a time when QTBIPOC organizations nationwide are navigating political hostility, funding volatility, and growing demand for culturally competent care. In Philadelphia, where grassroots networks often fill the gaps left by traditional institutions, GALAEI’s role is both hyperlocal and nationally resonant.
As Executive Director, Edwards now guides strategy, partnerships, and long-term sustainability, ensuring that programs advocating for trans-competent healthcare and racial justice continue to thrive.
“As a Black trans woman, this moment is both personal and collective,” Edwards said in a statement to Philadelphia Gay News. “GALAEI has long been a space of resilience and possibility for our communities. I step into this role honoring the labor of those who came before me and with a clear commitment to building sustainable systems of care, economic empowerment, and joy for Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people.”
Beyond the Office
Edwards’ impact isn’t confined to nonprofit leadership. Under her nightlife persona, Luna Thee Jawnette-Fierce, she produces Luna’s Nightcap, a monthly performance space at Franky Bradley’s. The show celebrated its fifth anniversary in May 2025, a testament to her commitment to building joy alongside justice.
That dual presence, policy architect by day, nightlife curator by night, reflects something quintessentially Philly: leadership that doesn’t ask people to shrink parts of themselves to be taken seriously.
A New Chapter for GALAEI
GALAEI was founded in 1989 as the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative. Its mission has long centered QTBIPOC radical social justice. With Edwards officially at the helm, the organization doubles down on that commitment, grounded in lived experience, sharpened by policy knowledge, and propelled by community trust.
In a moment when trans-competent care and racial equity are under attack nationally, Edwards’ appointment signals both continuity and evolution. She isn’t stepping into leadership to reinvent GALAEI.
She’s stepping in to protect it, expand it, and carry it forward.
And in Philadelphia, that kind of leadership doesn’t just matter. It moves the city.