RIBA - Architecture day for children featuring a Drag queen

[AlsoNotAGirl]

Royal Institute of Architecture (RIBA) is having a family fun book day tomorrow introducing architecture and buildings to children. Lots of great activities…

except the last activity of the day is with the Drag Queen story time Aida-H-Dee
No connection to rest of the day
www.architecture.com/whats-on/family-fun-day-architecture-book-day-2022

They are obsessed with exposing drag queens to children right now. Absolutely obsessed and I can't see what it's got to do with LGBT anyway. None of my male gay friends are interested in dressing up in women's clothing.
A lot of professional drag queens aren't even gay.
Surely pantomime season is quite enough exposure.

Why do you assume safe guarding checks aren't automatically done like they will be for everyone else coming in to read?

Because they never seem to be.usuakky one.look at their website or a quick Google for photos indicates exactly why they wouldn't be suitable around children.

But it's easier to yell bigot at anyone who doesn't think tight penis framing clothing is appropriate around kids than admit you were so desperate to appear woke you forgot to actually look into who you were hiring.

@hypnobrai

This was the RIBA's attempt to educate us last year during Pride Month, which is still on their website. Covers gender terminology and heavily pushes the declaration of pronouns at every possible opportunity, including embedding this in the recruitment process, emails, digital directories. Note also links to trans activists and dodgy scientific papers at end. (Also self-parody photo/caption).

[[https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/talking-about-gender-pronouns-in-the-workplace?utm]]source=Adestra&utmmmedium=email&utmterm=&utmmcontent=Let%27s%20talk%20about%20gender%20pronouns&utm_campaign=Resend%20of%20Prospect%20Newsletter%20June%202021

I am completely livid about this latest development - the lack of judgment and disregard for safeguarding.

I've started writing a complaint letter to the RIBA and I'd be interested to hear from other architects who are doing the same (please pm me).

I am really curious about what the connection is here with architecture?

There are lots of causes I'm interested in myself. I am involved in a group runs a soup kitchen. I'm involved in literacy tutoring. I'm interested in wilderness conservation and nature education. Etc.

But I don't go to an organization with a remit around architecture to find out about those things.

It seems completely bizarre.

Aida-H-Dee, as in... ADHD? I'm speechless. What next - Augh-Tizzm? Daun-Cyn-drome?

I thought drag names like Ana Bortion and Miss Carriage were bad, but now learning disorders too?

Sheesh...

And we're meant to just suck it up otherwise we're awful bigots and prudes?

#nothankyou

@EeeICouldRipATissue

Fun day group session that should read, not library! So many threads all about the same thing lately, was library last week

Quite drag queens are being introduced into many childrens activitie

OFGS.

They've a new education coordinator. I used to know the last one (ish.)

I bet that's what this is.

The name alone is offensive.

@Janesmom

If you don’t like it, don’t go. I really don’t understand why most people on this board are so focused on imposing their views on everyone else!

What, opinions like children not being subjected to hypersexualised stereotypes of women? That view? What’s your view on pedophelia?

I just can't fathom this current fixation with shoehorning drag queens into children's or family activities. Stick to adult clubs and cabaret.

As for what it has to do with architecture?

Response from RIBA safeguarding lead to my complaint email - see below. It's about making their event more inclusive (to whom?). And it's up to parents to decide what's appropriate for their own children. The event is in a private room, which perhaps suggests they realise it's not suitable for all. Would any safeguarding experts care to comment on this approach?

Email response:
"Thank you for sharing your concerns.
We invited Drag Queen Story Hour UK as an inclusive approach to our World Book Day event.
I want to reassure you that tomorrow's performance has been clearly advertised to include this performance, so all those booking were aware of the format. It will be in a room with restricted access and all children will be attending the event together with a responsible adult who will be able to make a decision as to whether the performance is appropriate for their child.
The supervision of children's use of the internet at home is a matter for parents and carers.
We have carried out a safeguarding and risk assessment as part of our usual process."

World Book day was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 to celebrate books and authors and encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading... so who are they being inclusive too? Seems like inclusivity is aimed at an older audience who can choose what they identify as; what has that got to do with children at all??

So I would be responding along those lines; perhaps the Drag Queen Story hour would be suitable for PRIDE month, not at a worldwide event aimed at children....

So if the parents decide that the performance isn’t appropriate, it’s ok, they can just remove them? Talk about absolving themselves of any responsibility!

typo should be '...who are they being inclusive to?'

There won't be many architects who will be impressed.

All the ones I know including Dh would be wtf

Most don't take any notice of the education programme though

So it's performative inclusiveness.

It's not enough just to read books that might have some relevance to the remit of the organization (do they, is that why RIBA is involved with WBD?)

Somehow they have to show they are inclusive, so the reader has to be from an identity group? And the best identity group is drag queens?

I kind of thought being inclusive might mean trying to make sure the venue was accessible to the disabled, or, say, not refusing to admit black/female/gay people. My guess is they already do the latter.

Identity politics is toxic.

Please ask ‘inclusive to who??’. I work with a lot of architects and they really aren’t the drag Queen crowd (generally).

Gawd - them and RICS… I suppose I’d better check out what the ICE are up to and see if we have a bloody hat trick…

They’re f*ing architects, ffs. Why are they doing this? Drag has become the standard pass for virtue signalling. It’s like oil companies planting trees.

I see the rainbow yfronts flag fluttering over construction sites - yes your average construction site worked is exactly who you’d expect would be voting for this. It’s bonkers!

I see the rainbow yfronts flag fluttering over construction sites - yes your average construction site worked is exactly who you’d expect would be voting for this. It’s bonkers!

Rainbow Y fronts flag?
Also that's a bit of a stereotypical generalisation - are all construction workers '' macho men '' who just scratch their bollocks, show their arse builders bum wise and think LGBT is a load of shit?!

@TheGirlInTheGreenDress

The have a history of not thinking things through - a couple of years ago they thought that cooking classes were appropriate International Women’s Day activities

The RIBA?

omg, that is legend.

Butnobody your post and wording has knocked me a bit sick actually.
WTF

What have architects got in common with drag queens? That's easy: erections.