Perkins Eastman celebrated Pride month all last week with virtual, open-to-the-public events that raised money for The Audre Lorde Project and Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. Events ranged from flower arranging to movie screening, cocktail mixing to Tarot card reading (provided by our own Tarot expert — and Perkins Eastman Principal — Connor Glass, IIDA). We will post highlights of last week in a future post, which will also feature a special interview with Avinash Rajagopal, editor-in-chief of Metropolis magazine. In the meantime, we are pleased to provide an excerpt of an article recently published in Metropolis which features and his thoughts on Pride: past, present, and future. Enjoy!
Connor Glass pictured as his Tarot Card reading alter ego during a Perkins Eastman virtual Pride event.
This excerpt appears with permission from Metropolis magazine. To read the full article by Avinash Rajagopal, editor-in-chief, Metropolis magazine, follow this link.
Queer Spaces: LGBTQ Voices and Resources for Architects and Designers
As Pride month draws to a close, Metropolis offers some perspectives and readings to help design professionals incorporate LGBTQ+ perspectives into their thinking and practice. Every year, the LGBTQ+ community in the United States, and in many other places around the world, celebrates the month of June as Pride month. Usually anchored by Pride parades, the month consists of marches, parties, protests, rallies, and other gatherings to highlight the experiences of people who identify across the spectrum of genders and sexual orientations.
So as this unusual Pride month draws to a close, Metropolis caught up with some leaders in architecture and design, and put together resources for those who wish to educate themselves further on topics that concern the community. We hope this helps you all reflect on your professional practice and how it can better reflect and improve the lives of people.
“Our movement is humanity’s movement, born out of bravery and a willingness to stand up and fight for justice.”
After 50 years, we are reminded again that we have so much further to go; it will be frightening, confusing, uncomfortable, and even dangerous. But as we said 30 years ago during the AIDS crisis, silence is not an option. This year, Pride is a call to action for everyone. To be proud is to act up and fight for our future.
I grew up in a place where there were no parades for being gay. I consistently met intolerance, bigotry, and even physical assault for trying to be proud. I grew up believing I couldn’t have love and a family of my own.
Today, I’m legally married and just adopted my first child. Now, I wonder: What will my daughter grow up to believe she can’t do? Why does any child grow up made to feel less than, taught to live in fear?
We still live in this world. To change it, I believe we must share our painful moments, to make them visible and real for the world to see, and to continue to be loud and proud.
I’ve been chased, thrown against a wall, called a dirty faggot, and punched in the stomach for proudly displaying a human rights campaign sticker on my car. I’ve been openly denied housing because I wanted to live with my boyfriend. Until a few days ago, I wasn’t protected from being fired in over half of this country for simply being who I am. This year I take pride in all the hard work we have yet to do. The past and present have taught us that our future will never just be a debate or a dialogue — it is a fight. I am proud of those standing up and fighting.”
— Connor Glass, IIDA, Principal, Perkins Eastman
To read the full article in Metropolis, published on June 29, 2020, click here.