4 archi/design LGBTQ+ organizations that you should know
Discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace is still a reality, and the creative field is no exception: we present you four organizations promoting a non-discriminatory environment for LGBTQ+ architects and designers.
We’ve spotted four LGBTQ+ organizations and initiatives supporting the creative LGBTQ+ community, by giving designers a space to share their visions and connect with each other. On May 17th we celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
A date that highlights the violence and discrimination experienced by the LGBTQ+ community, and that commemorates the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. While the design field is perceived as heading in the right direction when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion, it still hasn’t reached its end goal.
According to the 2019 Queer Design Count, 40% of LGBTQ+ designers reported having to point out design decisions that excluded queer people. Design is a universal language and needs to be a safe hub for creatives to share ideas and enable talent to emerge.
LGBTQ+ organizations – To know and follow:
Queer Design Club
On a mission to celebrate and promote LGBTQ+ creatives’ works and design’s role in queer activism throughout history, Queer Design Club is creating a space for queer creators to share their work through different platforms. They are also building a Designer Directory, a list of queer-identified creators, to connect the community and increase the visibility of their work.
Architecture LGBT+
According to the 2017 AJ annual LGBT+ survey, 39% of architects have heard homophobic or transphobic insults in their workplace. Architecture LGBT+ is building a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBT+ architects, from professionals to students. It organizes seminars, networking events, and panel discussions, and collaborates with a variety of speakers, writers, activists, agitators, and performers in the field.
The Queer Creative
The Queer Creative podcast is giving LGBTQ+ creatives a platform to talk about their work. Co-hosts Renessa and Jonah engage in conversations with designers about “queer ideas, the creative process, love, struggles, and the hustle”, defining what it means to be a Queer Creative in today’s world.
Build Out Alliance
Build Out Alliance is on a mission to create a world where the LGBTQ+ community in the design and construction industry works openly with pride. It aims at providing access to equal opportunities and a diverse professional network to LGBTQ+ professionals.
About the author
A Lebanese Graphic Designer, who studied at Politecnico di Milano. My unceasing curiosity for design brought me to Milan to explore this world of infinite possibilities.
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