Architect Julia Oderda, who came out as a transgender woman professionally in 2018, also provided some insights into her struggle in an interview with the NCARB recently, saying, “A lot of what I did to help pave the way for me — and hopefully for others behind me — but also just to address my own anxieties about the process was a lot of overpreparation.” 

The narrative that the existence of trans and non-binary people in an office setting is always contentious ought to be challenged, but their lack of visibility and support from colleagues is troubling, spurring the VCBO Architecture principal towards even more action. “That's one of the reasons I've been as open and vocal as I have been,” she says. “I think we need more people who can be found online to help the next generation.”

Architect, organizer, and facilitator A.L. Hu, who teaches at the Columbia GSAPP as an adjunct assistant professor and is the design initiatives manager at Ascendant Neighborhood Development, shared their own experience fighting against DEI initiatives. They shared support is often "performative" and frequently offers "very surface-level discourse or [are] linked to capital." Hu adds, "Know that there is a community of queer architects who will support you, even if they're not at your firm or where you are right now. There's a ton of work to be done, but I'm starting to choose to celebrate the spaces of resistance that I'm a part of and the joy that we build together rather than ruminating on how terrible the industry can be."

Architect Helen Bronston, an associate and architecture discipline lead at SmithGroup's San Francisco office, said that her workplace experience improved upon her return to the firm in 2015 following a ten-year hiatus. "Ultimately, the onus to create trans-inclusive workplaces shouldn't fall on trans people," reports Sam Manzella of Hunker. "Firm leaders and HR professionals should be collaborating to make their companies more welcoming. Luckily, there are plenty of resources out there to help them do so, including DEI Guides for Equitable Practice from the American Institute of Architects, a leading industry organization."