4. Item 147: I Just Met You, Gala
“Item 147: COLLABORATIVE. The evening of Sunday, July 28 is the event of the year: the #WeJustMetGala! Get together with Gishers in your area at your local museum in the strangest, fanciest attire you can create—go so all-out, you make Billy Porter jealous.
Roll out the red carpet and a banner, then convince strangers passing by to pose with you for red carpet pictures. Be fabulous! We must see the museum in the background, and there must be paparazzi.
Post your images and videos to social media and tag #WeJustMetGala, #GISH & @theebillyporter, then submit your image or video to us with the link to your social media post in the comments.”
GISH is basically a runway of weird on a normal day, but this year, it was literally a runway. The Hunt always has collaborative items prompting local teams to meet up and make things weird together. Mel, from team FlamboyanceLovesImpala1967, headed to the de Young museum in San Francisco for her We Just Met Gala photo shoot.
Mel said, “This year, I was really having trouble finding my GISH spirit, but kicking off Sunday night of the Hunt by meeting up with other teams at such a beautiful location, and witnessing everyone’s willingness to smile at strangers and be silly was exactly what I needed.”
She continued by saying, “Every time GISH rolls around, I’m grateful for how it has helped me overcome years of self-criticism, resistance, and unhappiness about seeing myself in photos. Through six years of GISH, I’ve grown into being able to look at myself with more love and acceptance.”
That’s just one example of GISH inspiring body positivity and self-love in people all around the world. This wild scavenger hunt and its baffling tasks inspire people to be the best people they can be and love themselves for who that person is.