On March 26, we gathered at Bar Bao in Arlington for the latest installment of the AIA Northern Virginia LGBTQIA+ Alliance Outing Supper Club series—an evening of dinner, drinks, and relaxed conversation in a welcoming setting. The Alliance is a committee of AIA Northern Virginia focused on connection, visibility, and support for LGBTQIA+ architects and allies within the Chapter.

The Supper Club series gives us a chance to spend time together outside our formal programs, and this gathering brought together both long-time Alliance participants and newer faces around the same table. Over dinner and drinks, we shared stories from our lives, swapped restaurant recommendations, and offered one another career advice.

Over the past two years, the LGBTQIA+ Alliance has focused much of its programming on legal issues affecting our community and on advocacy within the profession. The Supper Club series centers on something equally important: building community. This gathering was especially meaningful as our first in-person Alliance event held in Northern Virginia. While LGBTQIA+ Alliance members have previously connected face to face at ArchEx in Richmond, most of our work together has taken place on screen. Having the opportunity to meet locally and spend time together around the same table marked an important step in building the Alliance here in Northern Virginia.

The weather was gorgeous—if a bit windy—so we spent the evening outside in the courtyard at Bar Bao, where conversation moved easily across the table and the setting encouraged everyone to linger and connect.

We look forward to continuing the Supper Club series throughout the year and hope you will join us at a future gathering. Whether this is your first Alliance event or one of many, there is always a place for you at the table with us.