LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group

Hi everyone! Happy to be in this online space with you! 

I'm starting this thread for individuals people to introduce themselves. Share as much or as little as you like in whatever format you wish, but here's a basic framework to get us started: 

• Name, pronouns
• Where you are currently located
• Your current role(s)
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 

To change your profile picture, click on your avatar on the top right, navigate to Profile, and choose Change Picture in the Actions drop-down menu under the avatar/photo. 

To add to this thread, hit Reply on this message!

Looking forward to getting to know you all :) 

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✨ A.L. Hu, AIA, NOMA, NCARB
✨ they/them
✨ Queeries
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I'll start to kick us off! 

My name is A.L. Hu. My pronouns are they/them. I live and work in the New York City Metropolitan Area as Director of Design Initiatives at Ascendant Neighborhood Development. I also am an adjunct professor of Architecture and Urban Design at various institutions, but I'm taking a break from teaching this semester because I can! 

I am a Taiwanese-American transgenderqueer person, bisexual, but also probably on the asexual spectrum somewhere. Queerness adds color and dimension to every project, lecture, workshop, design, drawing, interaction for me, and I am on a mission (along with many others!) to queer architecture through the way architecture is taught and practiced. That's pretty broad, but that's me :) 

I am not super involved in AIA, but I am an active member of AIA New York, including putting on an exhibition at the New York Center for Architecture (which shares a home with AIANY) called Queeries: Designing Reality Equitably and Madly (Q:DREAM) which is on view until March 24th. It's a 3D materialization of Queeries, an initiative I started in the pandemic to connect with queer architects and designers, change the discourse around queerness in architecture, and begin to apply queer data to architectural designs and standards. 

I love love love meeting and connecting with people, so I hope to use my words on these discussion forums/threads to encourage participation. And I hope to help mold this AIA Knowledge Community platform into something that's useful and worth our time! 

Also - P.S. - fun fact - I have a cat who I love DEARLY and if there's energy, I'm down to start a thread that's just cat photos & captions!!!!!

Thanks for kicking us off, @AL Hu! And hello! Excited to get to know folx through this space (and hopefully beyond). 

My name is Sarah Nelson-Woynicz. My pronouns are she/her. I live and work in Atlanta, Georgia as a Project Architect at HKS in the Atlanta office. Through personal home renovations (of a historic home built in 1935!) I have also started a very very small side hustle that is working on the adaptive reuse of a small apartment building here in the city. 

Being someone who is queer and in architecture has been ever evolving for me - especially in recent years. Though a lesbian for far longer than being an architect, being LGBTQIA+ has - more often than not - been held at a very long arms distance from architecture and design for me. It's just been recently, and truthfully through meeting many others like A.L., that a more interwoven way of thinking about identity and design has started to occur. So looking forward to continue discovering and being in this space with everyone. 

Current AIA involvement is a bit all over the map (quite literally). I was a part of helping @Jonathan Gould found the AIA LGBTQIA+ Alliance here in Georgia last year (after a year of hosting events through AIA Atlanta in 2022). This year, I am also kicking off a three year term as the AIA Young Architects Forum National Committee Chair (for 2025). It's been a joy to meet others from across the country, while also have the opportunity to bring some of that back to my own backyard (like marching in the Atlanta Pride Parade last year!). Outside of the AIA but related, in October of 2022 I launched Pride by Design as a platform to bring visibility to LGBTQIA+ architects and designers through storytelling. To see how storytelling has become a catalyst for building connections in community has been one of the most incredible (and humbling) things to see and be a part of. 

Which I guess gets to AL's final question and what I hope to contribute and get from this space.. Queeries was the first platform and moment when I (personally + professionally) felt like I could look up and see LGBTQIA+ architects and designers around. Since then, through the LGBTQIA+ alliances all over, Out in Architecture, and so much more, I feel like those connections and community have only strengthened and become more present. Finding community and creating belonging is more than just a buzz word for me - it's something that is increasingly grounding all of the work in design and the profession that I hope to do. And to be able to do it together is what this is all about! I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing what that means for this group, and what all we can do together. 

Cheers! 

(and also here to bring the cat energy...!) 

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for starting this thread @A.L. Hu!!!

• My name is Samantha Hite, and my pronouns are She/Her. I just graduated from Kansas State University my Master's in Architecture! I am located back in my hometown area of Springfield, Missouri - working with BRP Architects as an Architectural Intern!
• I try not to get too bogged down by my labels, but as a general label, I consider myself to be a cis-gendered lesbian (Although dating has not been a priority for me yet). I have been lucky to not have my work/home life effected by my identity, although I think that in this current age, I feel like I have actually gotten more opportunities to reach out and help the community because of my identity - rather than feel excluded because of it. Springfield is a really great area in this regard - as you get to meet and help so many people!
• I just graduated, so my work and affiliation with AIA is still in its infancy - but through collaboration with my coworkers, and our local chapter, I am at least getting my name out there as someone who wants to get involved. Springfield did just begin to affiliate with ULI (Urban Land Institute) and I am beginning to work with our committees and leadership team with the Young Leadership Group to assist our community with healthy and sustainable growth! I also plan on furthering personal involvement with our YAF chapter (Young Architect's Forum) and hope to be on the board within the year.
• I really hope to get to know more professionals that share thoughts and passions - and truly expand my network of colleagues. As an Architect, you can never have too many friends! I also want to be able to foster a place for other people in our field who might not be able to be as open in their public lives! And if there are any initiatives that pop up, it would be awesome to expand reach into communities that need them!
• I am also an avid animal lover - and I will gladly share dog photos!

Thank you all, and I can't wait to see where this takes us!

·        Name, pronouns;

o   Jordan Blacker (He/him/his)

o   Originally from Yorkshire, England.

·        Where you are currently located;

o   I am currently located in Washington, DC, and have been here since 2019.

o   Before 2019, I worked in Manchester, Leeds, and London in the UK.

·        Your current role(s);

o   Dual registered Architect in Washington, DC, and the UK.

o   Architect within the Multifamily Urban Block Segment at Torti Gallas + Partners.

o   Communications Advisor, AIA DC Emerging Architects Committee. (Voluntary)

o   Communication / Outreach & DC Chapter Founding Member, Build Out Alliance. (Voluntary)

·        How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation;

o   Gender Identity: Male/Queer, Orientation: Gay, Officially out: Since 2010.

o   Married to a man since 2021.

·        Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other communities and/or advocacy efforts;

o   Communications Advisor for the AIA DC Emerging Architects Committee.

o   Hosted an Architecture, Engineering, and Construction LGBTQIA+ Event with AIA WIELD and AIA DC EAC during Pride of 2023.

o   Led a team that won the Build Out Alliance NYC float competition in 2023.

§  Announcing our Pride Float Design winning entry and early registration now open, LINK IN BIO! Today we announced the winning team for our… | Instagram

o   Build Out Alliance DC Chapter – One of the Founding Members.

I joined the exploratory committee team in DC, and we hosted our first solo event.

The event was a well-attended success, and the group gained the support we needed to demonstrate the viability of this type of group in the capital region. We then worked closely with the Build Out Alliance board to form our chapter.

Launching Feb 21^st:

Kick-Off Event in Washington, DC Tickets, Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite

o   University of Huddersfield, LGBTQ+ Society Member.

o   Also a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects - USA.

o   RIBA Future Architects Mentor

·        What do you hope to contribute to and get out of this community?

I look forward to sharing stories, providing/gaining resources, growing my network, and growing this great community!

Please feel free to connect on Linked In; Jordan Blacker, RA, AIA, NCARB, RIBA | LinkedIn

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Jordan Blacker AIA
Torti Gallas & Partners, Inc.
Washington, DC DC
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Hi all! So excited for the kickoff of this group.

My name is Jo Dean. My pronouns are he/they. I'm in Philadelphia, currently between positions. I identify as a butch lesbian, and as nonbinary. While my sexuality has generally found acceptance in this world, as I'm able to freely talk about my girlfriend, my gender identity has been a different story. I've never felt comfortable enough to use my pronouns at work, so I guess I'm in the closet in that way. It's hard enough getting a job as it is without being the one who's annoying about pronouns. My gender presentation also makes me feel pretty alienated in office culture. 

I've tried to be an advocate for the transgender experience in architecture, usually with bathrooms. Always pushing for all gender bathrooms, usually single occupancy but have pushed "European style" bathrooms, with fully enclosed toilets and communal sinks, in projects. Anyone know a better name for those? 

Besides that, I'm pretty involved with AIA Philadelphia and Green Building United, the local organization that brings a lot of green architecture orgs together - USGBC, passivehouse, living building challenge, etc. I just became the co-chair of GBU's Policy & Advocacy Committee! 

I'm still very early in my career, only have a BS and 2 years of experience, so any mentoring from other queer architects is greatly welcome, especially on how to find my place in a very cisheteronormative world. It's great to see the others that are out there!

Hope you all are well, 

Thanks, A.L. for the kickoff for introductions!  It's so great to see familiar and new faces on this forum.  

My name is Matthew (Matt) Ferraro.  My pronouns are he/him.  I am a native New Yorker - born, raised, educated and still live in New York City.  Queens is where I call home, where I grew up with my parents and grandparents all under one roof.

I am an openly gay architect and an Associate Principal at Weiss/Manfredi Architects, located in Tribeca, where I have been working for the last 13 years.  Prior, I worked as a Project Architect at Evans Heintges Architects (now Heintges Consulting Architects and Engineers) for a little over 3 years, and during my undergrad and graduate education I worked as an Associate for The Carman Group on interior residential projects.  I was fortunate to learn my love of architecture early in life, and it has allowed me to experience so many scales and levels of public engagement in projects.  We have the ability to shape the environments of the individual to the community, and that is what is so inspiring about this group's capacity as LGBTQIA+ architects.

I have been registered with the AIA since I graduated, and over the last three years I have been much more engaged with AIANY and AIA National.  COVID was quite literally life changing for me.  The story is a long one, but I will share the abridged version.  I was adopted as a baby and due to a law change in New York was able to receive my birth certificate right before the world shut down.  Shortly after, I learned about my birth parents and family, and over the course of conversations about my life with them, I came out.  They did not know it was literally for the first time, and naturally I called my family, friends, and close colleagues to tell them as well.  The love and support that was provided reaffirmed that my decision to do so happened at the right moment - albeit much later - in my life.  I took this moment to learn more about myself and to love myself more fully during the three years of the pandemic, but I also took it as a moment for advocacy for our community.  Last year I helped co-found the AIA NY LGBTQIA+ Alliance, and I currently co-chair this committee.  At the same time, working with leadership here in NY and across the other Alliances, we had a series of conversations with AIA National to establish a way to create a space that would reach architects across the US.  Through a variety of individuals' efforts, many of which are part of this forum already, this Affinity Group was realized.  It's wonderful to know it's here, and the hope is that it will reach fellow architects, particularly those that do not have local resources in their areas like we do here in NYC.  

These groups have allowed me to meet people such as A.L. and Sarah, who have been leading the charge in their own ways to create a more inclusive environment for the LGBTQIA+ community, and I am excited to connect with others on this forum.  Knowing that we all come from so many varied backgrounds, I'm hopeful that our ability to share our stories and provide resources for each other will help those that are facing challenges to feel more included in our profession and more importantly in the cities and environments that we quite literally shape together.

With pride!

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Matthew Ferraro, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Weiss/Manfredi Architects
New York, NY
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Big Hello to everyone in this group!!!

Thanks, Al hu, for kick starting this thread. I am still figuring out how this works and what's meant to do. I am guessing I am not alone. I think this group could be whatever we all choose to make it. Anyways, this is super exciting, and I am really glad to be a part of this group! And many thanks to Mike Skiados and rest of AIA team for initiating this LGBTQIA+ Affinity group and I am looking forward to getting to know as many of you as possible and hopefully do something meaningful for our larger community and to architecture in general.

As far as sharing something about me, per AL's list, here goes:

• Name, pronouns:
  • Harish Murthy, he/him/his
• Where you are currently located:
  • Seattle, WA
• Your current role(s):
  • Senior Project Manager @ Perkins&Will, Seattle WA
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!):
  • I am gay, partnered for the past 5+ years, married for 2+ years and live with my husband and kitty in Seattle. Regarding the second part about 'how those impact your work' there's a lot to unpack there. Someday when we have a call maybe I can discuss more. Generally speaking, I am not the kind who could ever think being gay is just another part of me. Being gay somehow consumed me and it did have a deep impact on every aspect of my life including my career as an architect. It's been a long road for sure but overall, I have been lucky to live an authentic life true to who I am at the core, and have the support of family and friends all along. So I am thankful for everything I have in life but also desire for lot more and actively working on it. As far as other identities go, I consider myself an Indo-Canadian-American, with my heart in India, soul in Canada and mind in America! Finally, cities I have extensively lived and worked are - Chennai, Bangalore, Denver, Portland, Washington DC, Vancouver, and Seattle! So, I have a bit of a diverse view on everything I suppose and happy to share more. :-)
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • Until recently I used to live in Vancouver, BC and moved to Seattle recently - Summer 2023. So, I have not involved much with AIA as yet, and this is just the beginning. But I am ready to get involved! Let's do it! 😊
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
  • Regarding what I want to receive or contribute to this group, I think there are several stories to be told here and I want to learn from you all. I am sure each one of us have a unique journey and I am curious to know more. Also, I think it would be meaningful for us to make a difference to those who may be struggling to find themselves within this group or outside. More than anything I think I am here to get inspired and inspire. So, looking forward to hearing from everyone! 

That's all from me. Cheers everyone! 😊

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Harish Murthy, AIA, Architect AIBC, LEED AP
he/him/his | Senior Project Manager
Perkins & Will, Seattle, WA
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Greetings all. My name is Joseph Lamb (he/him) and I am an architect in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm originally from Atlanta, Georgia, where I received my BS and M Arch from Georgia Tech. I spent 13 years with my first firm in Atlanta. My husband and I moved to Phoenix in 2018 and I started with my current firm in 2019. I am an Associate and a Project Architect with SmithGroup in their Phoenix office. My focus is in our Workplace practice which includes commercial real estate, multi-family residential, hospitality, food-and-beverage, and civic work. 

I am currently part of the initial group of AIA Phoenix members who are starting our local chapter's LGBTQIA+ Alliance. We are just starting to get up and running and I an excited to see where the group takes us. 

I am looking forward to meeting all of you in this new group. 

Love seeing this energy and learning more about y'all! Here's my quick responses:

• he/him
• I live in Savannah, GA and work remotely in Austin, TX (I get there a few times per year :)
• I'm an architect, poet, and artist (I share my poetry/art on @gaypoetbeau)
• I'm a gay cisgender man 
• I've been pretty involved in AIA, from Austin, TX (where I lived for 12 yrs) to NYC (where I lived for 2 years before moving to Savannah last year), including helping launch the LGBTQIA+ Alliances in those cities. I'm currently one of the Directors of the Savannah Young Architects Forum. 
• I hope this space helps us connect deeper and build community between queer architects and other marginalized groups all across the country 

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Beau Frail, AIA, NCARB
he/him
Savannah GA (+ Austin TX)
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Hello!

My name is Jacob Fields and I am a gay cisgender man. I am new to the architecture world (Assoc. AIA) and am just becoming familiar and more involved with AIA and all it offers. I am currently an Architectural Designer at an architectural and interiors collaborative firm in Louisville, Kentucky. I graduated from the University of Kentucky in December of 2022 with a BA in Architecture and Certificate in Historic Preservation. After coming out during college, I decided to begin my professional career as an out gay man and was extremely lucky with how accepting my current firm is. 

I plan to complete my Masters in Architecture in the coming years and focus on Historic Preservation based design. Originally being from Bardstown, Kentucky, an area with a lot of historic charm (and bourbon of course), I have a strong desire to preserve and adapt the structures of our past to fit our future. 

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, hiking and camping with my partner and our three dogs Oakley (Aussie), Lady(Aussie/Border Collie mix) and Glacier(Husky). So if anyone needs ideas for additional forums, I think a LGBTQIA+ travel guide with experiences and recommendations would be great!

With this group, I hope to become more familiar with other like minded individuals and AIA as a whole. 

LinkedIN

Hi peeps!

I'm Michelle Amt (she/her). I'm the Director of Sustainaibility and an associate principal at VMDO Architects in Charlottesville, Virginia, where I have lived for the past 23 (!) years. I'm the 2024 chair of the national Committee on the Environment (COTE).

I am a cisgender (butch-ish) lesbian in a very long-term relationship and raising two teenagers. I'm not sure that that identity impacts the physical design of projects I am on, but it definitely impacts how I see the world and how I interact with others. I credit my lived experience as a large-bodied, gender-nonconforming lesbian with developing a deeper sense empathy for others who might not fit the mould of "normalcy".  Being a same-sex parent has added another layer, enabling me to glimpse the frame of expectations around gender roles, parental roles, and even expectations about what gay parents should be. All of these experiences have made me a better listener and better bridge-builder, I think, which connects back to how I engage with clients, communities and my coworkers. That affects my work, but not necessarily how I hold the pencil.  

I'm not sure what I'm hoping for out of this community--to connect with other LGBTQIA+ folks (it's always a relief to be able to take down a few of the filters when chatting); to serve as a resource (I've been out at work, I've been closeted at work, and, with clients, everything in between); to learn from others; to discover ways in which we can (individually and collectively) make things a little easier for those who follow us. 

I'll be at the AIA Leadership Conference in Feb in DC if anyone wants to grab a coffee!

Hi Everyone! 

My name is Tom Brutting (he/him) and I currently live in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in California, not far from Sacramento. I am openly gay and came out in my late 20s during the AIDS crisis. I have lived through a period of time when being 'out' wasn't always wise, including in the profession.

So very glad to see this group get launched!  And a heartfelt welcome to everyone.

I began my career 45 years ago, yes, before some of you were born, and now retired for four years.

 I must say it was a wonderful career and profession.

Consider me the 'elder statesperson' of this group and I am more than happy to give advice, mentor, or whatever I may offer from experience.

I was born and raised in New York City, Queens to be exact, and attended high school in Connecticut and received my Masters degree in Architecture from Tulane University in New Orleans, a great place to study architecture.

The synopsis of my career is that I started in New York and moved on to Madison, Wisconsin and then Des Moines, Iowa and finally to San Francisco.  Each step was a beneficial career move, and life experience, culminating in my becoming a partner in a well established mid-size firm, HKIT Architects, over 20 years ago.

I developed a senior living practice that thrived and became nationally recognized. Overall, in my career I have been part of designing senior communities across the US, most recently in California.  

Being active in many things beyond the profession I have been on several non-profit boards, started a neighborhood association, a member of the Tulane University School of Architecture Advisory Board, and actively volunteered in several organizations, as I still.do today.

With the AIA I developed and chaired a very successful component group committee, the Northern California Design for Aging Committee for over a decade with 150 members, with the San Francisco chapter. I was also a member of the national Design for Aging component for several years

In 2013 I was made a Fellow of the AIA, a tremendous honor and one I greatly cherish, especially as an openly gay man.  My orientation did not matter one bit, and how nice after coming out of the darkness of the 'closet' in my youth and early adulthood. My husband attended my investiture in Denver that year, a heartfelt thing for me.

During my first months of retirement, with the onslaught of the pandemic, my plans were upended, so I decided serendipitously to write my life's memoire, which to my pleasure was published in the UK two years ago.

With that I hope we all can share our experiences here and support each other in any way possible. Always feel free to reach out to me.

Best to all of you in your careers!  It might be frustrating as times, yet always keep your head high and smile.

You can succeed.

Hello All, I am very excited about this opportunity and the development of a national AIA LGBTQIA+ community. I first connected with A.L. through Queeries and some of the Zoom calls had during the depths of the pandemic quarantine. 

I will try to give a quick overview, in college I studied electrical and computer engineering until I could not handle it anymore and internships that showed me I needed to make a change to the direciton of my life. Transferring into architecture was wonderful and was the first time I really gave credance to my creativity and artistic talent. Now, many years later I have come full circle with Design Technology and BIM where I use computer programming to develop digital tools for architects and designers to design better buildings. I have been grappling with gender identity for a long time and only recently, last 7 yrs or so, learned about non-binary and gender non-conforming identities, this was a huge mind expanding moment. things finally began to appear more clearly. just before the pandemic I came out to family as non-binary and pansexual. Then during the pandemic and the DEI / JEDI expansion / conversation in the office, I came out professionally and added they/them to my email signature and business cards.

I am working to inject my queerness into architectural thought and decision making within our firm and anyone with whom I interact. There is a lot to unpack in relation to societal norms, patriarchy and beyond. Lately, I have been on a reading binge related to algorithms and marginalized groups in society. Weapons of Math Destruction, Algorithms of Oppression, Race after Technology with some AI books Resisting AI and The Coming Wave.

• Name, pronouns
  • Ren Rainville, they/them
• Where you are currently located
  • Currently located in Seattle / Bellevue, WA. Grew up in the greater Boston area of MA, moved to LA, CA in late 2007 and up to the PNW in mid 2019.
• Your current role(s)
  • This is complicated, the best response is Senior Computational Designer / Architect. I am licensed in CA and WA and I recently completed a virtual Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design thru IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia out of Barcelona, Spain. My undergrad degree is from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, a B.S. in Arch and Urban Design. My travels to CA were in order to become licensed without having to get a master with the educational credit process allowed by CA (also WA and others).
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
  • I am a trans femme non-binary human being, pansexual and married to my trans masc non-binary spouse with which we have a child together. I have fit-out most of my life and therefore have seen those marginalized by contemporary society. Previously as a perceived male I would use that privilege to promote the advancement of those marginalized humans / communities. Once, my female boss told me not to include a baby changing station in the men's room of a rec center renovation, to which I disregarded and included the baby change station. As a parent, whom at the time presented as male, I was offended that we would design and implement a restroom that would exclude male presenting from being able to change their baby. Now, as an out trans / non-binary architect I see my visibility as an important representation that the stark gender binary is a false dicotomy to which everyone should dig deeper and examine their assumptions. In our office (newly designed and inhabited for about a year) we have an all gender restroom which I truly appreciate and enjoy. I never thought I would come out professionally, although this firm is great, very open and accepting of me and all staff to be their true selves. Since my coming out there have been two others who have added their alt pronouns which makes me happy that maybe my visibility could have helped them feel comfortable.
    
    Moreover, as a digital tool creator I take seriously the UX/UI of our tools. I desire to obtain feedback from our staff on how we can provide better and more effective tools to our staff.
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • This community is my first foray into involvement in an AIA group or any advocacy effort. I am half and half introvert / extrovert so my weekends are often spent with my family bubble to recoup from being around people all week. I do need to get back out and involved in the community, masked of course.
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
  • I am looking to engage other queer architects and designers, I need to find my queer community locally as well. As a polymath, I look forward to being able to share my knowledge / experience as desired and needed by the community. Anything from permaculture, gardening and composting to BIM, Design Technology and some computer programming while teaching myself AI tools (commercial and more in depth training of ML models for architecture purposes). I like Black and White photography (my instagram is mostly all that Ren.Rainville) I skateboard for transportation, need to get back into bicycling, I have a penchant for knowledge regarding renewable energy and decentralized systems.

I hope some of that makes sense, All in All, I am really excited to connect with others and find out where I can be of assistance, service is a big thing for me, generally more out of the spot light though, more behind the scenes. Although, maybe that needs to be revised and I need to take a more up front, loud and proud, role in my service.

Lastly, I almost forgot, I have a cat, love cats and pets in general, totally down for a cats / pets photo thread.

I really wish this system had spell check, I am pretty sure i mis-spelled things and without the red squiggle I don't know. haha

Hello all! Very excited about this group. Thank you A.L. Hu for kick starting!

·     Name, pronouns:

o   My name is Morgan Tweed. My pronouns are he/him or they/them.

·     Where you are currently located:

o   I live near Shelton WA but work in Seattle WA.

·     Your current role(s):

o   I am an Accessibility Code Specialist at Studio Pacifica. I am still new to Washington. I grew up in central Texas and spent several years in Iowa for school where I got my double masters in Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Currently I am working on completing my requirements for licenser. 

·     How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!):

o   I am Mor (cultural trans-masc) and demisexual. I come from a split cultural house (half Hispanic/ half Scottish) so my views on gender and sexuality are colored by those experiences. I’ve been together with my husband for 20 years, married for 9. We met in 2^nd grade and have been on this gender journey together the whole time, so I never really dealt with the dating aspects of the community.

Still being somewhat new to the industry, I haven’t found it has had much notable interaction on my design, spare my ideas around restrooms and stores. I have found my ambiguous way of dressing seemed to make other architects uncomfortable and impacted my attempts to find a job initially. I am very lucky to have landed the job I have now, my boss and co-workers are all extremely accepting and have no issues with my clothing style or my husband. 

·     Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts:

o   It is still early in my Architecture career, so I haven’t had a lot of involvement in the AIA yet. As a student I attended some events in Iowa, but I haven’t really gotten into things here in Seattle quite yet. I hope to get more involved in the future!

·     What you hope to contribute and get out of this community:

o   I hope to expand my network and connect with like-minded people in the Architecture community. So many unique perspectives to pull from is a great resource. I also hope to bring a disability voice to the table, as many Gender and Sexual Minorities (GSM) spaces are not accessible or inclusive to the disabled community.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Hi All! Thank you to A.L. for starting introductions.

My name is John Sepples. I am currently a Project Architect with Lothrop Associates Architects in White Plains, NY. I have been in this position for 16 months. I never thought that I would do this, but I implicitly came out as gay during my interview for the job. I believe the question I responded to was either why I wanted to relocate. My response was that I was planning to move into my partners' apartment in the Bronx. I assume not many heterosexual candidates or employees refer to their "partners" although I have one coworker who is in a long term relationship cohabitating with an opposite sex partner, and neither plans to marry. Being gay hasn't really affected my practice except that is comforting to be out from the beginning. One of the principals recently asked about my partner, and I mentioned our plans to get married. He was so supportive, he even suggested I contact his church for an officiant and/or venue. I believe I have two other LGBTQ+ coworkers, but we haven't discussed their identities.

I began my affiliation with AIA CT when I moved back to my parents' house following graduation from the M.Arch. program at the University at Buffalo the same month that the great recession of 2008 began. AIA CT members kept me motivated during the three years it took to land my first job in an architecture firm. I was an active participant in AIA CT's programs until my move. I haven't gotten connected to my new chapter yet, but I am planning to attend an upcoming educational event that they are hosting.

I am not doing any deliberate LGBTQ+ advocacy work at the moment. However, I am studying for Living Future Accreditation. Upon completion I would like to encourage my employer to pursue ILFI's Just label, a social justice transparency label for organizations. I joined this group to make connections and offer support however I am able to.

Well i am excited to see what this brings.

• I am Bjorn Myrum. I use He/Him.
• I am currently living in San Francisco, CA but I have lived in Dallas, TX, and New Orleans, LA previously. I left my home state of Minnesota to attend Tulane University School of Architecture in New Orleans where i earned my M.Arch and B.Arch.
• Currently, I am an Associate at BRW Architects. I am also a leader of our BIM Practice team and part of our IDEA group (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Architecture).
• I am a cis-gender male and identify as gay. I have a lovely partner and his cat, who sometimes likes me. Right now this has not been part of my history of practice but I am trying to figure out how to make it part of my future.
• I am an Associate AIA (I put off the exams far too long) and I've been to a few Build Out Alliance events.
• I don't know what I want yet but I do know that I want to find a way to talk about Queer (my umbrella term for LGBTQIA+) spaces and communities. I want to encourage their preservation and vitality for future generations. 

I'm so excited to see the activity this is already generating. Proud to be part of this field with all of you. Here's a little bit of info about myself:

• Joseph Lese (he/him)
• I'm based in Indianapolis, IN, and we have just opened a second location in Atlanta, GA, so I am down there occasionally as well.
• I'm the owner and principal architect of Progress Studio. I began the firm in 2018 after working for various firms after graduation in 2000, and while I didn't have an exact idea of what I wanted the firm to ultimately look like, what I can be proud of now is growing to a point where we added amazing people to our staff of all backgrounds. Everyone is celebrated and free to express their identity how they wish. We are currently a team of six, and are having an intern join us for the summer. 
• I identify as gay, and I have been married for just over a year and partnered for over six years (we also have a dog, Penny). My interests vary, but I enjoy traveling when I can, a good glass of wine, spending time with friends, and attending a variety of events: concerts, stage performances, the Indy 500. I'm a car nerd and aspiring bird nerd.
• What's been interesting is that in my younger days of my career, I kept pretty private and did not divulge any personal relationships I had, or how I identified as an individual. The older I've become, and especially owning my own business, I've decided that there's no reason to mask who I am, or our firm, culture and what we stand for. There has been a small number (less than 5) projects that went a different direction after a potential client did a simple Google search of me, which used to bother me. But, as I get further in my career and life in general, I've recognized we can't win them all and we can't please everyone, and that is 100% okay! 
• As a firm owner, I don't get to as many AIA Indiana events as I'd like, but I encourage my staff to participate whether it's a continuing education event or social one. Beyond the AIA events, we are certified with the NGLCC (which I encourage other firm owners to look into), the Indianapolis Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, the Diversity Wine Club (a social group and fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ non-profits), and other fundraisers throughout the year. We strive to be as visible as possible, be it at our office or social media presence.
• I'm mostly excited to see fellow colleagues around the country and to share experiences with each other, and be each others' support system. It's a great feeling to be part of the community, and I'm cheering for all of you.

Name, pronouns

Riley Qualley, He/Him

Where you are currently located

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

Your current role(s)

Architectural Designer II

How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)

I identify as a gay man and feel grateful for the support I receive from my current employer. It was something that I felt had been lacking in prior positions and it has been hugely beneficial for my own self-confidence in the profession. As a young designer it hasn't had too big of an impact on my career just yet but at times, I have feared that my effeminate qualities would make me less desirable for promotions into leadership positions. No definitive evidence has ever suggested this but has been something that I feel hyper aware of. However, the industrywide push to be more inclusive I feel will bring change to this!

Also, I do feel reluctant to be staffed on projects which are not secular in nature in fear that I might be unwelcome if a client has strong opinions about the community. Fortunately, my employer takes my concerns seriously and as far as I'm aware hasn't ever pushed a team member into a project that is at conflict with their personal morals and values. This comes up in other studios too such as healthcare clients who provide care to or support gender affirming surgeries.

The only other instance that has brought forward a difficult conversation was a blood drive in our office that my firm was in the process of planning as part of an initiative from our volunteer and outreach committee. The reason being is that men who have a recent male partner are not eligible to donate and I felt embarrassed and even a bit foolish being pressured to signing up to donate knowing that I would be denied in front of my colleagues.

Otherwise, my day to day feels relatively unaffected but I know I am lucky to be with an employer who places great values on equity.

Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts

Admittingly, I have not been very active within any of the AIA circles prior to my recent move. I previously belonged to the North Dakota chapter which has relatively small participation and limited opportunities to get involved. However, this past fall I attended Minnesota's annual conference and really enjoyed the experience. I plan on attending regularly and hope to become more active since my local chapter (Minneapolis) since it boasts a much larger community of designers and opportunity.  

What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :)

Ideally, I'd like to identify a few role models I could look up to who have found success in their career while being honest and open about their identity. I also am seeking insight I can bring back to my current employer on how we can continue our work to be a more inclusive workplace.

Lastly, I am looking forward to getting to know all of you better! 😊

Hello! Thank you A.L. for kicking us off! I'm excited to connect with you all.

Me in a nutshell:

• Name, pronouns:
  • Roxanna Bailey, she/her
• Where you are currently located:
  • Chicago, IL
• Your current role(s):
  • Architectural Lighting Designer at Jacobs
  • I work remote and I'm aligned with a multi-disciplinary office of architects and engineers in St Louis, MO.
  • I grew up in northern California and spent my M.Arch years in Los Angeles, so I have a soft spot for the west coast.
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!):
  • I'm a cisgender bisexual woman living with my partner and husky in River North, Chicago.
  • My queerness has not always been central to my work--though I was able to jump from a queer-allergic small employer to a proudly-inclusive global firm a couple years ago, I'd still like to better connect my work with my sense of self. Learning to celebrate my queerness has been a life-long journey.
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • I'm not super involved with AIA, but I've been an associate member for the past few years.
  • AIA Chicago has a strong LGBTQIA+ community of its own--supposedly the first local chapter to found an alliance--so I've had the opportunity to attend local events, design our parade banner, and get to know lots of wonderful people.
  • I'm also part of a Jacobs alliance called PRISM, but I've yet to meet another architecture/interiors/lighting person.
  • Lastly, I'm involved with some lighting communities (Illuminating Engineering Society, Women in Lighting and Design, etc.)
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
  • I'm mostly here to listen and learn. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Hello! My name is Shwetanc Bothra (he/him). 

I am usually known as Tank (even in professional settings). I live and work in Washington DC, working for Lehman Smith & McLeish, although I am currently taking a forced break in India, as I wait (3+ months) for my visa to be processed.

That being said, I am in Indian national, who received his B. Arch from Penn State, with Minors in Art History & Architectural History. My work at LSM as an Architect II caters to my interests in art paired with architecture, as this is a firm that strongly believes in creating architecture that takes the back seat, as we allow our art / artists to fill up the space. To that end, I get to work with a lot of artists, as we help curate installations and collections for each of our designs.

I am a bisexual cis male, and my sexuality has so far taken a back seat in the professional front. I was one of the only queer person in my current and past jobs, and forced myself to be quite heteronormative in the past. However, last year (2023) I had the fortune to be a production manager for Honcho (" it is a queer gathering in nature that celebrates those doing the heavy lifting in their local scenes" - a queer music festival in the woods of PA) where I got to curate musical experiences and artistic exhibits for 5 days with only people who identify themselves as a part of the LGBTQ+ community - and it changed my life. It showed me how my art can flourish in the presence of those that allow me to be free, and made me determined to create such a space in my other professional endeavors as well.

My involvement with AIA has been minimal so far. I have been a PALM mentor, and attended networking opportunities in PA and the DMV areas, since graduating in 2022. I am seeking to improve my involvement, but unsure how, at the moment.

I am happy to be a part of the community, learn from the advocacy efforts of others, and see how I may implement them in my little architectural circles in DC. Additionally, I work extensively with the students at Penn State, and this helps me provide them resources that they may use after graduation ( that I lacked ). 

Happy New Year !

Hello, all!

Thanks, Al! 
I am very excited to be a part of the LGBTQIA+ Affinity group and I am really excited to meet all of you. 

Name, pronouns:

Cody Solberg, he/him/his

Where you are currently located:

Richmond, VA

Your current role(s):

Senior Architect - Marvel Designs (Richmond, VA Office) 

How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!):

I am a gay and have been with my husband, Matt, for 12 years (married for five). We met while we were in college at Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), and got married in Blacksburg with family and friend in 2019. We have been in Richmond since 2017 and joyfully added Penny, our Australian Labradoodle tot he mix in 2020 (shout out to the Covid companions!). I have been out since 2012 and wanted to ensure that wherever my career took me, it was somewhere that felt welcoming, comfortable, and allowed me to live my authentic self. I think the best way to allow this to manifest as a designer /architect  is through the lens of critically learning from your communities, your clients, and colleagues and allowing these experiences to better shape the spaces and places we engage with.

Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts

I have served on AIA Richmond's Board of Directors for three years now, with a focus on our Young Architects Forum (YAF), and assisting with AIA Virginia's Emerging Leaders in Architecture Program when I can (I am a class of 2022 alumni of the program and would encourage others to look into similar programs if their AIA Chapters offer it). 

What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 

I am excited to learn, listen, and collaborate with a wonderful group of LGBTQIA+ individuals. There is always strength in numbers, and I'm excited to see how this evolves, and what we can all individually and collectively take away form this experience. 

Hi! Super excited this group was created!

• Name, pronouns
• Jess Gardner, they/them
• Where you are currently located
• I currently live and work in Richmond, VA. I grew up in Western Massachusetts and went to college and worked in Boston before moving up to Vermont. I lived in a couple of different cities in Vermont before moving to Richmond three years ago.
• Your current role(s)
• I am a Project Architect and Associate Principal at Kahler Slater in their Healthcare Studio.
• I am also part of the BIM group and co-lead an automation initiative in my office.
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
• I identify as a non-binary lesbian on the gray ace spectrum.
• I love the idea of queering architecture as that is something I am actively doing every day. I am fully myself at my current job with my colleagues and clients. Unfortunately, some folks do not tend to use my pronouns, but I do not let that stop me from being me or trying to change that. 
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
• When I lived in Vermont, I was heavily involved in their AIA chapter. Since moving to Virginia 3 years ago, I have not made the same effort of involvement in the local or state chapters but hope to change that this year.
• I am much more involved in my community and am part of the Stonewall Sports league, Queer Moto Club/ The Litas, and Queer Pickup Soccer.
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
• I am excited to meet other LGBTQIA+ folks in the industry and learn from their experiences!

Hey Everyone! 

Excited to be here. 

My name is Jazzmin Reid, pronouns are she/her. I am currently located in Los Angeles, CA but am originally from Baltimore, MD. I am currently working as a project designer for DLR Group here in LA. my gender identity is a cis-women although my gender presentation may sometimes fluctuate between being both masculine and feminine presenting. Sexual orientation, I would say I am a Kinsey 5 gay if I had to use any term to identify myself, with most of my attraction leaning towards women. 

In the workplace, the various aspects of my identity feel supported and celebrated. We have an internal LGBTQ forum that organizes Pride Month activities every year. We also have a newly created Director of Equity, Diversity, and Belonging to further cement some of the DEI practices we are trying to do across offices. 

On projects, I would like for my identities to have more of an influence but sadly they don't. We have started doing community outreach for various projects where we try to integrate the specific needs of diverse communities into our designs, but the efforts are still in their early stages. I hope that with time as these efforts grow we can integrate the needs of our community into projects as well. 

Currently, I am just starting to get involved with AIA. I completed the Jacob Leadership Institute based out of AIA Florida, and just joing the DEI steering committee for this year. I also work with NOMA and the different NOMAS organizations here in LA and hope to continue growing and building these connections.  

I don't think I have a specific desire for what I want to get out of this group. I was more so led by a desire to get more involved with AIA and a curiosity about what this group could be! 

I'm excited to see where this goes! 

• Name, pronouns
  • John Jennifer Marx
  • He/She Her/Him - depending on how I'm presenting 
• Where you are currently located
  • San Francisco, California. 
    
  • I have lived in San Francisco for 42 years, born in Illinois. 
• Your current role(s)
  • I am the founding design principal at Form4 Architecture and am licensed in the State of California. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary!!!
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
• I am Twin Gender …. Or Gender Fluid
• I am fortunate enough to be in a locale and with firms that have not negatively impacted my professional experience, by basis of my orientation. I do present as male in most professional settings. 
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • I have given lectures at AIA/SF over the years on design issues. 
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community
  • I have been actively advocating for expanding our understanding of gender in the profession. Recently I edited an Advocacy Monograph with the  Architectural Review that launched during the Vernissage of the 2023 Venice Biennale.   I uploaded a pdf to the Library. I am hoping to get feedback on the issues we raised. 

Hi everyone!

My name is Laura Marley Lancaster (I prefer to go by Laura Marley) and I use she/her/hers pronouns. Right now, I'm located in New Haven, Connecticut but am originally from Dallas, Texas and went to school in Austin, Texas. I'm currently a staff designer at Pickard Chilton.

I'm a cisgender white woman and identify as queer in terms of sexual/romantic orientation. In terms of how this identity has impacted my approach to architecture and design, I feel like I am still relatively new to the industry and am finding a place, both at my current firm and in general, where I can focus on the type of work I enjoy the most - design work having to do with accessibility, equity, and sustainability, as well as an effort to educate and mentor high school students, recruit new talent, and enrich studio culture. At my previous firm, I was one of a handful of openly LGBTQIA+ identifying folx and participated in a JEDI committee. At my current firm, it appears that I am the only out member of the community and have struggled a bit connecting to any local LGBTQIA+ organizations or being open about my sexuality at work the way my heteronormative coworkers get to be without fear of upsetting the apple cart so to speak. It's not ideal and I'm hoping this group can help in terms of building connections and confidence to approach the issues I've seen.

I'm involved with AIA CT and specifically the WiA committee (I've requested to start some kind of LGBTQIA+ committee and never gotten any responses). I've attended the AIA Women's Leadership Summit the last two years and really enjoyed learning from and connecting to non-men within the industry. I'm also a leader of the ACE Mentor Program within my office and have been leading classes and writing curriculum for the last two school years.

I'm excited to be a part of this group to build some connections and learn about other queer experiences within the architecture and design and adjacent industries. This is something that has been lacking for me personally as someone who came out later in life. I hope to contribute in any way I can whether it's participation in discussions and brainstorming, sharing my experiences, and simply creating space for others.

I'm really excited to be here and learn from everyone!

Laura Marley

------------------------------
Laura Marley Lancaster, LEED AP BD+C, Assoc. AIA
New Haven, CT
------------------------------

• Name, pronouns
• Aaron Baumbach, he/him/his
• Where you are currently located
• San Francisco, California. Have lived in San Francisco for 15+ years, born in Northern California and raised in Hawaii/NorCal.
• Your current role(s)
• I'm a Senior Architect at SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) and am licensed in the State of California. I've been at SOM for some time now and my role is more technical design in nature.
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
• Gay cis male who has a cat. I have been fortunate enough to be in a locale and with firms that have not negatively impacted my professional experience, by basis of my orientation.
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
• I have served on the San Francisco Board as a Student and as an Associate Director, and on the California Board as the Associate Director for Northern California in the past. I am active within my local chapter. I have occasionally attended other community events like BuildOut Alliance, etc.
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community
• To meet others in the community and hopefully improve the professional experience of others.

Hiii

I meant to write this past weekend. So HIIIIII!!!

• Name, pronouns
  • Asa Santa Cruz - she/her
  • Born in Peru. LatinX heritage 

• Where you are currently located
  • Charlotte, North Carolina. I graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Lived in Tampa for about 18 years prior to relocating to the Carolinas. I love it here. I am not moving back to Florida any time soon. 

• Your current role(s)
  • Program Manager (Retail Banking) for BDG Architect. I have been with BDG for about 8 years.  

• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
  • Gender identity: female, orientation: bi-sexual, romantic: engaged. Getting married to a man in Barcelona in less than 50 days. 
  • My first love was the Little Mermaid but I was always Belle... confused my parents as to why I loved one Disney princess but wanted to be another princess. 
  • Being bi-sexual and dating a male, we seem like a heterosexual couple. So my sexual orientation hasn't really been questioned... it is only with a handful of people that I work with (clients included) that know I'm bi. And it's because I have told them and they were part of the LBGTQIA+ community (so maybe safe space... ) I'm not sure if it's harder to bring up in conversation... I do also have a few pride pins on my desk. Maybe other think that I'm just an ally instead of being bi. I will take advice from others who are bi.  

• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • Local - AIA Charlotte - heavily involved in Women in Architecture. I was the co-chair back in 2020-2022. Not Architecture related but I'm a mentor and a board member through Wayfinders (a program in CLT). Our focus is to send scholar who wouldn't be able to in a regular basis to overnight summer camp. We serve 170 scholars in the Charlotte area. As a board, we have been presented with the challenge to educate our scholars, parents and mentors in respecting pronouns for others and themselves. It is a fine like we walk because we are not legal guardians by any means and can't tell parents how to raise their children. We can ask from them to be RESPECTFUL and MINDFUL how that will make the others feel. It's a work in progress. 
  • State - Associate Director (State Territory Associate Representative) for North Carolina. (Associates are 20% of the AIA membership. In the future I would love to see 20% of associates being part of the "table" not just hearing about the decisions after their made) 
  • National - as a STAR, I am also represent North Carolina in the NAC.

• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
  • I love networking and connecting people with others. I don't believe in reinventing the wheel. If a program was successful in ___ location, how can one start another in ___ location. Is there a program, format, panelist needed, certain verbiage to increase sponsorship and involvement of others. 
  • Super excited to be part of this group.  :D 

HI All!

By name is David Benton (he, him).  

I live and work in Bluffton, SC, which is between Savannah, GA and Hilton Head Island.  I moved here just over 2 years ago from Washington, DC where I lived for over 25 years. Before DC I lived in Phoenix, AZ and grew up in SanDiego County, CA.   I am a one-gay-man show for my firm Benton architecture + interiors.  I started my business about 10 years ago after working at a couple high-end custom residential firms in DC; Anne Decker Architects and Rill Architects.  I graduated from The Catholic University of America in '99.

I have been with my husband for over 20 years and married for about 10.

I am currently the secretary and creative director of the local AIA Hilton Head Island Chapter.

What I hope to get out of the LGBTQIA?  Moving from progressive DC to "The South" has been a dramatic change professionally and personally.  I hope to connect with other LGBTQ professionals nationally and possibly locally to feel like less of a unicorn.  With meeting new people everyday, I feel like I am coming out all over again - every day.  Working in the custom single family residential world, I become very close to my clients. In DC there was never a hesitation in talking about "my husband", but here I have been much more guarded. 

So looking forward to feeling part of a greater community.

------------------------------
David Benton AIA
Benton architecture + interiors
Bluffton SC
------------------------------

Hello Everyone! Happy to be here - beaming with pride. Excited to have a community like this on a national level.

• My name is Dave Guerriero (He/him). I am currently located in Philadelphia and am a Project Architect with a healthcare specialty background. I am not a labels person, but would fall in the gay male column. I would say that my career in architecture has never held me back from being myself. I have leadership in the alphabet mafia, so it has never been an issue in office and I have not yet had issue with clients. 
• I have not really been too involved in AIA in the past. I am more recently licensed this past year and have been trying to manage newer project responsibilities before hopping into membership benefits. This may be the push I needed to have a community to relate and vibe with. I lifetime ago I was heavily active in AIAS as northeast quad director on the national level for that election year, but trailed off after my term and later graduation.
• I'm hoping to get resources, friends, a place of belonging from this group and most of all advocates and voices for issues and wins in our community. 

If anyone in the Philly or local area would like to get together some time please reach out! I'm excited to see where this community progresses from here.

------------------------------
David Guerriero AIA
Stantec Architecture Inc.
Philadelphia PA
------------------------------

Hello LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group!

My name is Robert Tarbell and I am currently working as a Senior Project Architect at Page Southerland Page, located in Washington DC.

Originally hailing from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in Upstate NY, I proudly identify as a Two-Spirited individual. Recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion, I actively participate in various organizations to promote these values. Currently, I serve as a board member and Treasurer for the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter. Additionally, I am the chairperson for the JEDI group (Justice Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), where we strive to create a more equitable and accepting environment for all.

I am genuinely excited to be part of the  LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group. I am eager to engage in meaningful discussions surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues and concerns, with the ultimate goal of fostering a more inclusive and accepting environment for all members.

Howdy everyone :)

Wow this thread really popped off! Thanks A.L. for getting this started. So glad to be a part of this wonderful group. I'm Pitak and I use he/him pronouns. You can find me in Dallas though I was born in Thailand and dabbled in Michigan. I'm 26 years old and have only been working for a year and a half now post-graduation so my current role would be the most entry level position lol. I'm gayyyy and i feel like i'm missing out because i don't have pets like most of yall but maybe it's time to bring one home?? I'm not as involved with AIA as I should be but being in a group like this would make me more inclined to volunteer and socialize. I'd hope to contribute my perspective and insight to the conversation and would love to network (especially with anyone that lives in New York, i've been itching to move there!!!). All of the introductions and life stories have been so lovely and endearing to read, I wish us all the best moving forward. 

Cheers,

🌈🌈🌈

Hello everyone! It's been wonderful getting to know each of you and hearing your diverse stories. Being part of this community is incredibly exciting, and I can't wait to witness our collective evolution.

I'm Ania Yee-Boguinskaia (she/her), currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Houston, TX, I recently earned my B. Arch from the University of Texas at Austin. After wrapping up a contract position as a designer at GRT Architects, I'm now actively searching for my next opportunity. My previous experiences include internships at Brett Zamore Design in Houston and WORKac in NYC.

I would describe my gender, sexual, and romantic orientations as very fluid, but generally I consider myself a cisgender bisexual woman. Interestingly I don't feel my personal identity is defined strongly by these orientations, rather, it is shaped by my values, tastes, hobbies, and interests. As for how this impacts my work I'd say it makes me very cognizant of how queer individuals might interact with and feel in a space. Consequently, I strive to design with inclusivity and comfort in mind. I've been fortunate to work in environments with forward-thinking colleagues whose work and values align with this objective. While it has always been an underlying consideration, I haven't had the explicit opportunity to design spaces specifically tailored to queer individuals. This is something I aspire to do in the future, such as creating performance and living spaces attuned to the needs and preferences of the queer community.

While in school I was able to attend the AIA national convention in 2019 and 2022 thanks to sponsorship from The Architects Foundation, which were such enlightening and connective experiences. I joined AIA NY as an associate member last year and have been active in attending local chapter events when I can, and am looking forward to learning how I can become even more involved with AIA at all levels in the future.

I hope to work together with you all to establish this group as a strong national community of LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as become more acquainted with and potentially collaborate with those of you who are local in NYC :) 

I'd love to connect on LinkedIn as well!

Cheers!

------------------------------
Ania Yee-Boguinskaia Assoc. AIA
Architectural Designer
New York NY
------------------------------

Hi everyone! My name is Jason Hagopian and I own an architecture firm in Fort Lauderdale Florida.  I am male and identify as gay. I have been with my husband Rick for 24 years. I fortunately have been out and proud for all my years after college and haven't looked back!  I don't hold back who I am in my profession.  If someone can't handle it or has issues, that's on them.

I've been very involved with AIA on the local level as well as the State and National levels.  I represent the state of Florida on the AIA SFX.

I look forward to joining an empowered, powerful group of people.

Hello all! Excited to join this group and hopefully meet some interesting people! 

My name is Jordan Dunn (Queer, he/him), and I'm a marketing professional in HOK's Los Angeles Studio. I primarily work on the business development side of things, but I am interested in exploring the intersection of sustainable design, mutual aid, and the built environment. I also lead my studio's team that handles all things community outreach/volunteering/charitable events. 

Although new to AIA as an Associate Member, I am looking forward to connecting with a collaborative network of design professionals. (LinkedIn)

------------------------------
Jordan Dunn Assoc. AIA
HOK
Los Angeles CA
------------------------------

Hello, my name is Millie (she/her). I am Canadian but currently living in Seattle working as a project consultant for 4EA Building Science. I identify as gay and have for a while. It doesn't impact my work at all, but I am the only gay person floating around the office. We get to work with some great architects that seem queer, so that is something. I am not involved with AIA very much as I am an envelope consultant, but I am interested in getting more involved. I attend Passive House events when I can and do some fun networking there. Hoping to meet some more diverse folks in the field.

It's great seeing so many familiar faces as well as meeting new ones.  @AL Hu AIA Thanks for starting this thread!

• My name is Spencer Lepler, my pronouns are he/him.
• I live in Herndon, VA (5 minutes from Dulles airport outside DC) and have been in the DC area since 2005 (previously living in SW Waterfront in DC, Centreville, VA, and Alexandria, VA).  I'm originally from Dix Hills, NY (on the Nassau/Suffolk line on Long Island) and went to school at Tulane University in New Orleans (I'm actually shocked to see other Tulanians on here as we are few and far between in the world (@Bjorn Myrum Assoc. AIA & @Thomas C. Brutting FAIA Member Emeritus)).  I started my education as an undeclared liberal arts student and transferred into the Architecture School after my first year.  I graduated in 2005 just before Katrina with my combined Bachelors and Masters of Architecture with a Certificate in Preservation Studies.  While at Tulane I spent a few years as the president of the LGBTQIA+ student association (renaming it at that time from BiGALA to MOSAIC).
• I am currently the Vice President, Architectural Services for Adaptive Property Solutions.  We are an existing conditions documentation company and provide our clients with 3DVR tours, existing conditions models and drawings, and site inspection reports as well as some other services.  We are a 100% remote company and have been since we started business in 2017 with staff and contractors around the country and the world.  I work from home and hope that I never have to go back into the office again.  I have had my own small firm for a couple of years two different times (once with a friend and once on my own) and wouldn't rule it out again, but for now am enjoying not having to chase work.  I also have a small craft business with my husband where we dye and sell yarn, fiber, and other related items (The Fiberists)
• I identify as a cisgender polyamorous homoromantic gray-asexual man of ashkenazi jewish descent.  Its a mouthful, so oftentimes I usually just say I'm Queer.  I've been out since college and this January marks 20 years that my husband moved in with me (and December was 8 years that we have been married.  We have a third partner who moved in with us last year, who has been a part of our family for 2 years this march.  I'm out at work and have been my entire professional life with the exception of 8 months back in 2016-2017.  Three days into my new job at that time after coming back from lunch with my new boss where I casually mentioned my husband I was told by my then boss that while he had no issues, the owner of the company was a raging homophobe and would fire me if he found out, note that this was before Virginia added Sexual Orientation as a protected class in their non-discrimination laws.  From that moment on I was looking for a new position which became a moot point when the company closed 8 months later.  From that point on, I made sure to mention my husband in every job interview either as a candidate or a hiring manager as I refused to be forced back into the closet again.
• I've been very involved with my local and state AIA components for years holding many offices and positions and being an alumni of and former steering committee member for the AIA Virginia ELA program.  I recently completed my term of being the co-chair of the AIA Virginia JEDI committee after rotated off the committee after being a founding member and the chair of the ad-hoc committee that pushed for its creation.  Having been the only Queer voice on the committee I was loathe to leave but I needed to move on; so If any of the other folks on here from Virginia are interested in participating I would be more than happy to pass your name along as a recommendation.  I've also been working with a fellow architect out of Texas, @Lawrence Paschall II AIA, for a number of years on working to start a stand alone association for LGBTQIA+ architects and designers: we have a Facebook Group which we set up prior to COVID and at A'19 we put together and participated in a panel discussion on LGBTQIA+ issues in the practice of architecture along with @AL Hu AIA and @Ila Berman.  We have both been pulled in other directions recently, so work on developing this further has somewhat stalled.  I look forward to working more on that now that I have taken a step back from my state and local participation.
• I am a self described introvert who forces themselves to be extroverted all the time (I know other people hated being stuck at home during COVID but I loved it!).  I am looking to make more connections with other LGBTQIA+ folks who are also interested in being connected and involved at the local, state, and/or national level, reconnect with those of you I have met and know already, and hope to meet some of you in person at some point!

LinkedIn Profile

Reading all of your stories is so inspiring! Thank you for the community and vulnerability. 

My name is Ryan Gann. My pronouns are he/him. I am a Chicago-based Architect and Design-Strategist working at the intersection of facilitation and community co-creation. Sometimes this looks like a building or art installation, other times it a curriculum or guiding framework. Prior to founding my own practice in 2021 I worked at Ross Barney Architects for a little over 7 years. 

I am grateful to have been welcomed into a professional community that allowed me to be out and proud since college. Finding that space fueled a desire to ensure others have access and inspiration to a strong community. In 2018 I became a founding member of the AIA's first LGBTQIA+ Alliance in Chicago, which ushered in a growing cohort of groups nationally. This advocacy work was in parallel to my service the AIA Strategic Council (2018) and AIA Board of Directors (2019, 2021-2023). 

What do I hope to contribute and get out of this community?... I hope this community unlocks latent energy and opportunities to create more spaces of belonging for the AEC industry across the identity gradient. 

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Ryan Gann AIA, NOMA
he/him
Chicago IL
------------------------------

Hello everyone. I am so excited to be a part of this group. My name is John, I go by he/him, and I live in Denver. I grew up in northern New Jersey and went to Virginia Tech for my B.Arch. I also hold master's degrees from Rutgers (MLIS) and Penn (MS). I have moved around the country a lot. My interests include the historical use of urban space by sexual minorities, and protecting cultural heritage from the effects of climate change. I am an architect for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) doing disaster mitigation work. I identify as a gay man. I have found that my orientation and internalized homophobia has affected my work as an architect. Sharing naturally competitive space with A-type male personalities within architecture offices and especially at construction meetings was challenging for me and very anxiety provoking. I have not been very active with my AIA chapter, but I would like to change that and get involved. I hope that I can contribute some of my experience and knowledge and I hope this affinity group is not just an information resource, but a way to connect to the community.

Hi hi!

I'm Emi Thornton, they/them. I'm originally from Kitsap County, WA and now I live in St Paul, MN, working as an Architectural Designer.

In college I was the representative for the college of design in student government. I worked with other students to improve campus in terms of accessibility and inclusion by hosting events and allocating student dollars towards appropriate funds. 

I also wrote and performed a stand-up comedy routine my senior semester of college where most of the punchlines were about being queer. I identify as trans/nonbinary, biromantic, and demisexual. I also have an invisible disability. It feels kinda weird to type it all out at once! 

As far as impacting my work, I want to be a Code Resource later in my career. I'm starting now by shadowing Architects in my office and attending webinars. My interest in this mostly comes from wanting to insure that spaces we as Architects create are accessible and inclusive to others, not as a bare minimum for code, but so that they are truly safe, welcoming, and enjoyable. I'm also the Trans^tm employee at work, and that comes with it's own pros and cons.

This is the most involved I've been with AIA apart from attending the conventions once a year. I'd be happy to meet others to study for the ARE exams or chat over coffee. 

By reading these welcome posts I've already learned much more about our community and feel better connected to AIA in general. Instead of ambiguous Architects everyone here now has a face and story attached.

Cheers!

Hello! So very excited to now have this new platform to meet, engage and mobilize with you all!

• Eric Ball (he / him)
• Was born in Kansas City, went to K-12 in Tulsa, college in Los Angeles (USC), and have lived on the Lower East Side of New York City practicing architecture for the last 15+ years.
• Managing / Senior Director at Adjaye Associates until the end of last year. Have now started my own small firm (Ball Projects) while still pursuing other new role conversations within firms, teaching opportunities, mentoring students through the Architectural League's great annual program, as well as enagement with other wonderful organizations like Open House New York, Art21, the Urban Land Institute, our local AIANY LGBTQIA+ Alliance, and most recently Build Out.
• Gay, cisgender male. Married my husband almost 5 years ago (together for 10+). Every aspect of my identity impacts my design work. Learning from and ultimately building a diverse, supportive community of identities / backgrounds was and continues to be a major driver of life decisions, and so I've also sought work opportunities that are aligned to physically design, fund and build places that foster that exposure / engagement for others as well.

Looking forward to using this platform to reach new voices, engage in the important discussions facing our community, and ultimately leverage our combined resources to enact change!

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Eric Ball, AIA
New York, New York
------------------------------

Hello Everyone!

My name is Weston Rodberry (or just Wes) (He/Him)

Austin, Texas (born in Reedley, California)

Project Architect in PK12 and Municipal Projects at FGM Architects

I am a cisgender gay man who is empowered by my firm to do my best work. I was in the US Army during "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" when I met my husband. After I finished my service, my husband and I got married and I went to school at the University of Houston for my B. Arch. I am licensed in both CA and TX and have been licensed since early 2019.

I am just a participating member in my local AIA chapter not in a leadership role. I had several roles and opportunities with AIAS while in college. While AIA is important to me, I am one of the cogs that turn in the giant machine that is my firm's Texas region so dedicating time to other causes can stretch me thin. I am also very active in USGBC and want to help with sustainable initiatives.

Ultimately, I want to hear our story from the many voices that comprise the LGBTQ+ Affinity group and stay informed. It's good to know there are other professionals out there who are living their best life and are able to be open about their life at work. Also, to find ways that I can help with the visibility and highlighting accomplishments of our community and to share my contributions as well.

I am an introvert and can come off as cold but I am very open to listen and help people usually. Clinical Anxiety and Depression but working through the discomfort to get to a better place. It's so nice to "meet" most of you and read about your stories.

Weston Rodberry, AIA, LEED BD+C

FGM Architects

Austin, TX

Welp, I'm late to the party, but excited to be here nonetheless :-) 

Name, pronouns: Michael Spory (he/him)

Where you are currently located: Washington, DC

Your current role(s): I'm an Associate at VMDO Architects in our DC office, trying to make more beautiful, high-performing buildings where all kinds of people feel welcome. As a PA/PM, I usually describe my role as being like those folks with the little brooms in the sport of curling, who are madly scrubbing the ice and doing a ton of frantic activity just to keep the boulder sliding forward another inch. I've had the privilege to work on K-12 schools and community centers during my career, including DC's first net-zero community center.

How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!): I'm a gay man who took a bit longer to ease my way out of the closet, for many reasons. Like many of you, I suspect, I inherited and cultivated a sensitivity to the emotional tides and social rhythms of the people around me--and the ability to shapeshift a bit when needed, to communicate with nuance, to pick up and respond to social cues about what was expected and accepted, and what was not. I have been grateful to work with incredibly smart, generous, talented, and kind colleagues, who have smoothed the way so that I have experienced our office as a very inclusive place, both in social culture and also in formal office policy. I think being gay has led me to be more curious and open-handed about others, not knowing what might be going on below the surface and excavating my assumptions a bit more richly. As someone naturally engrained towards "fitting in" to what is expected, it has helped me to live in balance--to be bolder, prouder, and more comfortable with uniqueness and distinctness, and how to blend and bridge alongside the traditional and familiar. 

Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts: I have been involved with AIA since grad school, mostly with AIA Virginia and the local chapters. I have served as Associate Director on the AIA VA board, was a member of the Emerging Leaders in Architecture (ELA) class of 2017, and currently am chairing the Design Committee which organizes the biannual Design Forum. Shameless plug to join us in Richmond on April 5-6 :-) 

What you hope to contribute and get out of this community: I love to connect with people, especially interesting people doing interesting things--and queer designers certainly slot into those categories. I hope to connect with more established folks to learn from their paths, and hear from younger designers about how I can make the road a little smoother for them. And maybe new friends? Good design recommendations? Ice cream?

Hey everyone I've been wanting to join in on the chat and I've finally found the time to introduce myself. My name is Alanzo Price but I prefer ZO [he/him/they/them]. I recently graduated from Kennesaw State University in May 2023 where I served as the AIAS President. While in that role, I became more involved with AIA [Atlanta] by way of Jonathan Gould. After being involved in panels and workshops that AIA [Atlanta] hosted while in school I saw opportunity for more once I graduated. Right now, I'm still in Atlanta working as an Architectural Designer at BRR Architecture. My main goal is getting licensed or at least finish all my tests this year. I identify as a gender fluid gay man. I feel that my gender identity dictates the value that I have for myself as a person, team member and the goals I have as an architect. I think within the profession I have a lot of opportunity to set a standard for people within my community. In my mind, I see the field of architecture as a game to be conquered. It begins with education but soon develops into a much a larger external landscape that has the reach to impact the world. I do believe I will be one of the most renowned architects in the world, but because I see architecture as not only an object but a subject as well. As I continue in my architectural journey, I will continue to be involved in AIA Atlanta and hopefully holding positions on the board in due time. I know that I am not the only person who sees a chance to change the what architecture looks like professionally, socially, physically, etc. and I and happy to a part of a community of people who embrace that.

Hi Everyone! 

So nice to see so many people sharing here... Thanks A.L. for kicking off!

My name is Pedro Camara (pronouns: he/him). I am originally from Brazil and living in New York for the past ten years. I moved to NY in 2013 for a one year masters program and after worked with Bernard Tschumi for 3 years, after being his student at school. Later, I joined KPF New York office, where I am currently an Associate Principal and part of our Pride Committee. At KPF Pride, I curated/organized a series called IncluCity, which focuses on issues of inclusivity, accessibility, and community engagement in the design of cities. We had six IncluCities so far and we are currently cooking one about Neurodiversity and Design. I am also part of a research group with other Brazilian LGBTQ architects friends called "arquitetura bicha" that focuses on the intersection between queerness, space and cities. We have an instagram account where we post some of our research: @arquiteturabicha (sorry, it's in portuguese only!). I have also collaborated with artists Gerard & Kelly, designing exhibitions and sets for some of their Modern Living performance series, which is set in modernist residential projects for non-heteronormative relationships. 

I am proudly gay. I think that being a gay architect helps me to think more inclusively and question the standards we all have been learned as fixed normative notions... 

I am new to AIA... I am excited to be part of this pilot community and I hope to meet new people, share and connect. I am currently half-way through my licensure journey and it would be great to connect with peers who are also studying for the ARE exams (or who have passed them) and share stories and support each other. Looking forward to getting to know you better and seeing tons of cat pics too!

Happy Friday!

Hi everyone! And how exciting to scroll through everyone's intro and only see a few of the architects I already know. Especially since everyone knows the gays all know each other!

I'm Larry Paschall (he/him) with Spotted Dog Architecture in Dallas. Or I should say I am Spotted Dog. I've been working for myself since July 2016. (Yikes!) I'm also The Big Gay Architect. (@BigGayArchitect) Like Tom Brutting, I am an elder gay. Although I prefer the term "homo emeritus."

I've been working in architecture since 1997 and gay way long before that. I am as stereotypical of an AIA member as you can get – white, cisgender male, middle-aged. The gay part is just extra and as far as I know, that's had no effect on my work. What it has done is made me very aware of the lack of queer representation in the industry. That's changing – obviously – but it's been a long time coming. Lots of years being the only one – or at least feeling like it.

I am currently part of the leadership team at the AIA Dallas LGBTQIA+ Alliance, and I am the current chair for the continuing education committee at Texas Society of Architects. I've been speaking at AIA conferences off and on since 2010. I will be presenting a session on queer advocacy and firm practice at this year's conference. I'm also one of the past board chairs for the North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

At this point, I'm just thrilled to see so many different people engaged as part of this group/community. For a number of years, I would introduce myself as the only gay architect in Dallas. Not because it was true but because it certainly felt that way. The last year has been one of growing connections with other groups and queer individuals in the profession. A nice reminder that it's not just me. Also nice that AIA National has finally been able to pull some of us together to see where we can be resources for one another.

Hi All -- I'm apparently late to the party on this thread, but excited to see this affinity community emerge! Thanks to A.L. for kicking this off, and it's great to read through everyone else's responses. 

I'm Scott Archer (he/him), a gay cisgender architect/planner/urban designer located in Washington, DC. I've been in DC since 2013, and recently joined DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, a nationally-certified LGBTQ+ small business, to build our DC office as a complement to our HQ in Philadelphia and another office in Indianapolis. Though I was trained and worked as a traditional architect, I now am more focused on planning and urban design for cities and institutions, especially prioritizing community voices and elevated their visions for the places they live in every day. We're honored to be a part of so many engaged public design processes!

I also teach as an adjunct member of the faculty for Virginia Tech's Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Specifically, I teach an interdisciplinary studio with architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and planning students, as well as an urban design seminar that is focused on comparative urbanism. The last few years, we've partners with institutions in Germany and Chile for comparative research and design.

As it relates to AIA, I'm involved in AIA|DC, specifically as an inaugural member of the Urban Design Committee and a past chair, and currently I serve in the leadership group of the National AIA Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community (RUDC). If you're interested in cities, check RUDC out and join us! We have a presence at the national conference, an annual symposium (this year in Indianapolis in November), and some AIAU webinars. I'm also personally supportive of the AIA's political advocacy efforts, but as you may know DC doesn't have voting representation in Congress -- so support DC Statehood for the 700k U.S. citizens here to have a voice in our people's house!!

Finally, I'm truly excited to see what everyone else in this affinity group is doing, and look forward to supporting everyone's efforts. With the AIA conference in DC this year, I'll be participating and hope to see everyone at the events and sessions that Sarah and others have shared! Nice to meet you all virtually and look forward to connecting in person!!

-- Scott

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Scott Archer AIA, AICP, LEED AP ND
David Rubin Land Collective
Washington, DC
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Hello Everyone!

Similar to Scott's comment, I was going to say that I was late to the party, but if Scott was fashionably late, I'm apparently just arriving before last call! ;)

My name is Brian Forehand (he/him/his) and I am a gay/queer architect originally from the Portsmouth, VA and have been living and working in Washington, DC for the past 23 years.  I started my firm, nth° architecture + interiors three years ago as a mission-driven firm focused on expanding architectural services in the local and regional communities, with special emphasis placed on working with local non-profits and organizations, small businesses, and clients focused on affordability and accessibility.  Specifically, I started my own firm after working on a number of projects (many with multi-family developers or single-family clients) over my 20+ year career where I became acutely aware of the high frequency with which the profession tends to serve high-end communities (lots of spaces I could never afford to live in) and out of a concern about the relevancy of architecture in the many communities where our services are seen as a luxury, including rural communities and underserved communities in our cities and suburbs.  I am passionate about collaborating with clients and communities to deliver projects that are environmentally and socially conscious and sustainable, that address inhabitant health and well-being, and that are focused on accessibility, inclusivity, and empathy.  

I directly attribute my drive for advocacy, activism, and empathy to my queerness.  Growing up in the south as a cis-gender, white male, Methodist boy, I certainly fell into the mold of the "follow the crowd" mentality we see in society today.  When I started to better understand and come to grips with my sexual orientation in college in the late 90s, I - the kid that had always tried to fit in - felt immediately alienated and cast as someone that was against the grain or rebelling against "normal society".  Working at my first job out of college in Norfolk, VA, I routinely experienced derogatory comments about gay architects (needless to say I was afraid of coming out to anyone there except for one or two colleagues). It was this experience that provided the insights that my hitherto closed-minded self needed to finally realize the many ways that society is engineered to suppress the voices, rights, and opportunities for minorities and marginalized communities.  Since that time, while I do feel like it's easy for me to be out as a gay architect in Washington, DC, it is not at all lost on me that there is still so much more progress that needs to be made to ensure that all in the LGBTQ+ community feel safe, respected, and acknowledged, both within the profession and in general.  

I am active in AIA|DC, serving as chair of the AIA|DC Advocacy Committee, as well as actively participating in our Resiliency + Disaster Relief Committee and Small Firm Exchange (SFx).  In addition to continuing to advocate for DC Statehood (thank you, Scott, for speaking about this!) we are also actively advancing legislation to enact Good Samaritan Laws for Architects + Engineers in DC (to allow those that have completed SAP training to respond in the event of disasters).  

I am excited to be connected to this wonderful community and to learn from each of you how, together, we can best support and engage in issues that affect LGBTQ+ architects living and working throughout the US.  

And cat energy - I'm here for that too!

Thanks + I look forward to the opportunity to meet and get to know many of you!

Brian

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Brian Forehand AIA
nth° architecture + interiors
Washington DC
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• Name, pronouns
  • J Humphries (he/him) 
• Where you are currently located
  • Memphis, TN
• Your current role(s)
  • designer / project manager
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!)
  • At the beginning of my career, I worked at a firm in Mississippi where I felt uncomfortable sharing my lifestyle. It was not until I moved just a tad North to Memphis that I started to feel more comfortable being myself at work. It is great to be in an inclusive environment, but I still feel a little beside myself at our office and local AIA chapter as there are not very many queer people (or maybe just not a connected group of queer folks --- yet!)
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
  • I have never been super involved in AIA as it did not seem there was much for me personally to gain from membership. Recently I discovered this affinity group and am hopeful that it will be a place of community and sharing! 
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
  • I have a queer friend who works at another firm here in Memphis. We hope to start a PRIDE affinity group in our local AIA chapter. Any advice from some of you who have founded your local groups would be helpful for us. Thanks for being here and making this space!

jj

Hi everyone! Glad to make your acquaintance! Here's something about me:

I'm Eve Reynolds, she/her and lesbian • Los Angeles • Principal of Arcolution LLC, a full service woman-owned architecture firm based in Silver Lake • I am active in the AIA/LA from time to time • I describe myself as architect, activist, dog mommy, student of esoterica, blogger, and community builder, not necessarily in that order.

I've recently reached out to the L.A. based architects on this LGBTQIA+ roster (approx. 22 people) to see who might be interested in getting together for mutual support. A few of us met earlier this month in WeHo and it was wonderful to get to know each other. We are eager to meet up again, we think in February, and hope to get more of us involved. So, if anyone here is in or around LA who would like to join us, please reach out to me and I will put you on our common thread: my email is reynolds.eve@gmail.com and my cell 818.915.2219. Thank you for being here!

Hello World! I'm going to try to keep this brief, as I'm "just an IT guy" that works for architects, engineers, and designers who finally got my Assoc. AIA approved at the end of December 2024.

• Name, pronouns - Chris Bovee de Soto, he/him. The "de Soto" is my married name. My husband and I changed our names legally in Puerto Rico (where we lived at the time) before the SCOTUS decision allowed us to get legally married back in 2014. He is "Soto de Bovee," I am "Bovee de Soto," following the old Spanish naming convention for when a woman gets married, "de" in that case denoting a form of ownership.
• Where you are currently located - The Richmond suburb of Glen Allen, Virginia.
• Your current role(s) - My functional title is Senior IT Systems Administrator here at Page Southerland Page, Inc. Currently I'm the only one holding said title. My firm title is Associate, and I am vying for Senior Associate (only time will tell). I also hold the role of Information Systems Security Manager for our Richmond office.
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!) - I am not an architect, however, my existence as a cisgendered gay man touches every area of my professional, social, and personal life. I ensure that I am visibibly and audibly homosexual; in English, Spanish, and French (what little of French I am able to speak). I do so to hold space for other LGBTQIA2S folks who are unable to do so on their own. I feel that is more important than ever, and is foundational to building and maintaining a sense of community. I'm also visibly peirced, gauged ears, gauged septum, nostril, etc., and visibly tattooed on my arms and hands, a/k/a "job killers". I am unapologetically HERE for this life.
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts - I was involved in the NENY chapter when I was living in Albany, NY, and working for Page, and I transferred my membership down here to the AIA RVA and Central VA chapters to become more active now that I'm an official Associate of the AIA. I look forward to the AIA RVA mixer being hosted here this Thursday, as a matter of fact. If you see me there, please say hello!
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) - I hope to do as previously stated, and continue to hold space for others in our community. To give perspective to the architects, engineers, and designers I work with and for who may lack perspectives from our community.

Thanks everyone!

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Chris Bovee de Soto, M.S., CCSP, MIEEE, Assoc. AIA
Associate @ Page
Senior IT Systems Administrator
Glen Allen, VA
------------------------------

Hello everyone, my name is Juan Ricardes (he/him), and I'm a Senior Project Manager based in Florida, specializing in design development and project management.

As a gay man in the architecture field, I understand the unique challenges and experiences that come with being a minority professional. While I firmly believe in the universality of struggle, I also recognize the specific impact that our sexual orientation can have on professional opportunities and a sense of belonging within the industry.

I've served in various AIA roles, including Associate Director, Secretary, and President-Elect at AIA Tampa Bay, President of AIA Central Kentucky, and currently as a member of the AIA National Equity and the Future of Architecture Committee and the AIA Florida EDI Advisory Council.

I'm excited to connect with this community, to build meaningful relationships, and to facilitate access to the resources and support available through the committees I serve.

My vision is for an architecture profession that not only embraces diversity, but actively champions it, ensuring equitable opportunities for all. While we face pushbacks against EDI initiatives, we must remember their fundamental purpose: to create a profession where every member can thrive with dignity. Many still face hardship and discrimination, and it is our collective responsibility to improve the quality of life for everyone.

In these challenging times, it's more important than ever that we stand united and support one another.

Hi Folks! I'm a little late to the party, but grateful to be here.

I had the absolute honor and pleasure of meeting many of you at the AIA '24 LGBTQIA+ Symposium last June, and it's so cool to see the community proliferate in this space.

I'm a nerd for cultural anthropology who did a bit of a 180 in grad school and started studying architecture. So now I'm a nerd for both! The two fields actually have a lot in common as far as content and research goes, but could not be more different as far as representation goes… and that's why we're here!

So now I'm an architectural designer, passionate about trauma-informed design, with my research focused on the relationship between domestic violence and GBV/IPV in the designed environment. 

I'm the only out queer person in my Business Unit (Illinois), and co-founder and former chair of Dewberry's first ERG: Prism, serving the LGBTQIA+ employee community – which has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. I also run the Instagram page Q+Arch and am part of the team that formed the Build Out Alliance committee in Chicago, where I currently serve as co-secretary (albeit remotely).

And now for the bullet points:

• Name, pronouns:
• Rosalie Howell, she/her/hers
• Where you are currently located:
• Peoria, IL
• Your current role(s):
• Design Professional II @ Dewberry Architects, Inc.
• How you would describe your gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or romantic orientation, and how those impact your work as an architect (or not!):
• I am cisgender femme-ish and use the terms queer, gay, & lesbian interchangeably. How the professional world has received my identities has been a bit of a mixed bag, really. I had an experience in college (late aughts) where I got let go from a job at a bookstore after I was accidentally outed at work by my then-girlfriend (this was in central Tennessee, where I am originally from). Over time, my response to that experience has changed, and I've currently landed squarely in the "well, I might as well go into a job interview fully open so whatever decisions are going to be made based on my identity are at least marginally within my control from the moment I apply" camp. Then federal protections came and that was relieving, but it doesn't erase the experience. As a person with training in anthropology, I do find it pretty fascinating to participate in meetings where the small talk turns to stories including spouses, and when I say the words "my wife" in a sentence together, sometimes I am met with awkward silence, but that awkward silence has gotten shorter and shorter over time, and I would say the meter now reads "somewhat comfortable" as opposed to "awkward and uncomfortable". There is also the experience of being the "only", which at first was isolating, but I have established friendships with many of my colleagues who are absolute allies to every single community represented in our shared alphabet. Being an activist in the professional space has been an interesting journey as well. I have run into the gambit of comments like "why is this so important to you?" and "we don't need DE&I, all hires should just be merit-based", "we shouldn't have political conversations at work" etc., etc. But, of course, these comments don't stem from the deep knowledge we have of our community's historical treatment in the professional space. Folks in our community have lost their jobs simply for their identity, and so, so many people both in and not in the community lost their jobs because of an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. So yes, it is absolutely important to be an activist in the professional space to make sure people are educated and that this and other forms of professional discrimination don't continue to happen.
• Your involvement with AIA, whether national, state, or local, as well as other community and/or advocacy efforts
• I am not very involved in the AIA beyond helping Pride by Design and the LGBTQIA+ Alliances with the symposium last year, and I'll be presenting at the conference in Boston this year, but I would like to become more involved after I pass my AREs. I'd be in the Prairie Illinois region, maybe I could get a couple of folks together and we could start the Prairie Alliance! Uh, oh, I'm getting ahead of myself… 😊
• What you hope to contribute and get out of this community :) 
• Like A.L. Hu, I really love making connections. I am an organizer at heart, and love planning and participating in gatherings and events that give folks a space to find community, foster networking opportunities and mutual support, and organize actions that promote wellness for underrepresented communities in our profession and in our designs. And of course, I am in this space to do whatever I can to contribute to better representation in our field.

I run another Instagram space called Lesbian Film Night, where I'm building a lexicon of historical and modern films that have prominent lesbian or WLW themes. Here are some Lesbian/WLW films with architectural themes: Thelma (features a prominent scene in Snohetta's Opera House in Oslo, Norwegian language film, free on Kanopy), Kyss Mig/Kiss Me (the main character is an architectural designer, Swedish language film, free on Kanopy), The Price of Desire (biographical film about E-1027, English language film, free on Plex), Reaching for the Moon (biographical film about Lota de Macedo Soares and Elizabeth Bishop, English language film, free on Kanopy), and The Affair (fictionalized story surrounding Mies Van Der Rohe's Villa Tugendhat, English language film, free on Tubi).

I also identify proudly as a cat lady. Anyway, don't be a stranger! Feel free to reach out 😊

Rosalie Howell, Assoc AIA
she/her/hers | Design Professional II
Dewberry, Peoria IL