June 5: World Environment Day; Day of ArafahAntonio Luna 1897 – The Ancient Temples and Shrines Preservation Law was passed, instituting the protection of structures and artifacts in Japan designated National Treasures. 1899 – Antonio Luna, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, was assassinated in the midst of the Philippine–American War. 1997 – Anticipating a coup attempt, President Pascal Lissouba of the Republic of the Congo ordered the detention of his rival Denis Sassou Nguesso, initiating a second civil war. 2004 – Noël Mamère, the mayor of Bègles, conducted a marriage ceremony for two men, even though same-sex marriage in France had not yet been legalised. 2009 – After almost two months of civil disobedience, at least 31 people were killed in clashes between the National Police and indigenous people in Bagua province, Peru. Ivy Compton-BurnettTheippan Maung WaElizabeth GlosterMegumi NakajimaMore anniversaries: June 4 June 5 June 6 Archive By email List of days of the year About #this #day #june

Ongoing Regent’s Park Estate Story Trail Regent’s Park Estate, London NW1Regent’s Park Estate Story Trail is a public art trail. Artworks include Unwritten by Polish artist Rafal Zajko, which excavates the history of a clandestine LGBTQ+ bar located beneath St Mary Magdalene church and You Are Here by Ocean Stefan, a queer, trans and non-binary artist based in Margate. olddiorama.com Unwritten by Rafal Zajko. Photography: Nick Turpin 22 May AJ goes OUT sixteen3’s showroom, London EC1Advertisement Sponsored by UK furniture designer sixteen3 and held at its showrooms in Clerkenwell as part of Clerkenwell Design Week, the AJ is holding a party to celebrate the release of this issue. Expect music, drinks, posters, copies of the AJ and lots of networking with co-collaborators and contributors. sixteen3.co.uk 24 May Queer Archi* Social London LGBT+ Community Centre, London SE1Organised by Queerscapes, Queer Archi* Social is a meet-up for queer and trans people working in the architecture, landscape, horticulture and built environment sectors. Not a formal networking event, it’s a chance to meet others who get it, swap stories and find new collaborators. londonlgbtqcentre.org queerscapes.com Still from E.1027 Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea. Credit: Rise And Shine World Sales 31 May Linden Archives Museum of LiverpoolStuart Linden Rhodes established Instagram account @Linden_Archives during Covid, digitising hundreds of 35mm photographs he shot for All Points North and Gay Times in the 1990s. This talk covers his books on the pub and club scene from Birmingham to Newcastle, as well as Pride events across the whole of England. liverpoolmuseums.org.ukAdvertisement 7 June Queer Realms – Zine Workshop Ada Haus, London SW8Part of The London Festival of Architecture, this zine workshop, organised by and for LGBTQ+ people, invites attendees to explore how their identities shape and are shaped by the London landscape, using zine-making as a creative tool. londonfestivalofarchitecture.org You Are Here by Ocean Stefan. Part of Regent's Park Estate Art Trail. Photography: Nick Turpin 9 June-14 September The Painted Picnic – A Summer Pavilion Citypoint, London EC2Designed by artist John Booth, Citypoint’s plaza will be transformed into a vibrant scene from an outdoor party. Inspired by the LFA’s 2025 theme Voices, the installation reimagines a still-life composition at an architectural scale that visitors can interact with. Digital illustrations by Booth celebrating Pride month will also be on display on the screen at Citypoint throughout June. Brookfield Properties as the commissioners. londonfestivalofarchitecture.org 14-18 June Queer Frontiers 1 Customs Wharf, EdinburghHeld over five days of the 2025 Architecture Fringe in Scotland, Queer Frontiers is a project that explores the ‘corporate capture’ of the queer as we progress towards a future where queer has become the norm. The event includes an exhibition and talks, organised by designer and researcher Kirsty Watt, designer Samuel Stair and Architecture Fringe co-director Andy Summers. architecturefringe.com Still from E.1027 Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea. Credit: Rise And Shine World Sales 18 June E.1027 Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea Museum of BathAs part of Queer Bath 2025’s festival and in partnership with FilmBath, this screening sheds light on Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray’s story and the significance of the Modernist villa E.1027 in queer architectural history. The screening will be followed by a discussion on gender, space, and visibility in design. queerbath.co.uk June, date TBC Architecture LGBT+ Life Drawing HOK, London W1Architecture LGBT+’s next free-to-attend monthly life drawing class is being held at HOK’s offices near Warren Street. A queer model will do a variety of poses throughout the evening for attendees to draw. Drawing supplies, music and drinks are all included. The event is aimed at those who work or study within the architectural field. architecturelgbt.com Life drawing at Heatherwick Studio. Photography: Daniel Innes and Joe Stancer 21 June Soho Queer History – Walking Tour Trafalgar Square, London WC2A two-hour walking tour exploring the history of London LGBTQ+ life. It takes you through the West End, sharing stories of drag queens of the 1700s, gay soirées of the 1920s, and the development of this queer neighbourhood. londonfestivalofarchitecture.org 4 July Queer Nightcrawl Through the City NLA, The London Centre, London EC2Dani Dinger and Dan de la Motte of Queer Tours of London shine a light on London's hidden queer stories. The tour strolls down Sodomites Walk, heads to the docks to discover the secret lives of the Mollies of 18th Century Wapping and minces down Old Compton Street to navigate the danger and dalliance of 1930s Soho. thelondoncentre.org 5 July Architecture LGBT+ London Pride Celebration 2025 London, location TBCArchitecture LGBT+ hosts a breakfast and drinks ahead of the London Pride parade to gather architects and built environment professionals together before joining the parade with the official architecture float. architecturelgbt.com London Pride Float competition winning scheme Proudspeaker by oo office. Credit: oo office 5 July London Pride Float Hyde Park Corner, LondonIn March this year, the LFA, Architecture LGBT+ and Freehold announced an open call for the annual £8,000 pride float competition, which is backed by Brookfield Properties and will celebrate the contributions of LGBTQIA+ architects to the built environment. The winner is oo office. architecturelgbt.com November, date TBC Queer Places: The Exhibition 2.0 Liverpool, location TBCLaunching its second round, exhibition Queer Places, a growing archive of Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ spaces past, present and future, opens its doors again in November. The exhibition will be filled with art, architectural models, maps, photographs and artefacts celebrating queer heritage. New this year are interactive 3D models of historic queer spaces. queerplaces.co.uk Queer Places exhibition. Credit: Queer Places Organisations, initiatives and platforms Architecture Foundation Young Trustees’ Spatial Queeries Spotlight Sunday A weekly spotlight on LGBT+ practitioners, design initiatives and queer spaces. @youngtrusteesArchitecture LGBT+ Not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers. It aims to provide an inclusive and prejudice-free environment for LGBT+ architects and those working and studying within the profession through learning, mentoring and networking events – including life drawing and yoga. architecturelgbt.com @architecturelgbtArchitecture LGBT+ Academic Champions NetworkAn alliance of academic champions – one per architecture school in the UK – working to improve representation and understanding of queer identity and action in architectural education. architecturelgbt.com/academic-champions-networkBuilding Equality UK-wide member association with resources for built environment consultants, engineers, developers, contractors and institutions – plus events. buildingequalityuk.comFirst Brick Community-led, democratically run housing organisation aiming to build housing and community spaces for LGBTQ+ people who want and need it. firstbrickhousing.co.ukFreehold Networking hub for LGBTQ professionals and allies in the UK’s real estate industry. freeholdlgbt.comFriends of The Joiners Arms: The JOIN Project Collaboration with community partners to explore how LGBTQIA+ venues and organisations can help create inclusive spaces and better opportunities for work, training and volunteering. friendsjoinersarms.comHomotopia Arts and social justice organisation based in Liverpool supporting local, national, and international queer and trans creatives, artists and makers. homotopia.netInterEngineering A professional network aiming to connect, inform and empower lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender engineers and their straight allies. interengineeringlgbt.comLondon LGBT Community Centre Based in pop-up premises in Southwark, this centre is a safe, sober space that welcomes and supports anyone identifying as LGBTQ+. The space was fitted out by the design and architecture community, who rallied around to support the space. londonlgbtqcentre.orgOpen Plan Scotland A volunteer-led advocacy and support network for all who identify as LGBTQIA+ and study or work across architecture in Scotland. openplan.scot @openplanscotlandOutwardly Creative A new event in Brighton bringing together queer members of the arts and creative industries, including architects. outwardlycreative.co.uk @outwardlycreativePlanning Out Network for LGBT professionals in the town planning and planning sector. @planningoutPride of Place: England’s LGBTQ Heritage Resource and interactive map uncovering and celebrating the LGBTQ heritage of buildings, places and landscapes across England. historicengland.org.ukThe London Queer Housing Coalition Specialist steering group made up of by-and-for LGBTQ+ housing and homelessness organisations working in the capital. stonewallhousing.org/lqhcThe Outside Project London’s LGBTIQ+ community shelter, centre, domestic abuse refuge and trans night shelter. lgbtiqoutside.orgThe Proud Place, Manchester Manchester’s LGBT+ Community Centre hosting The Proud Trust in a purpose-built building. theproudtrust.orgTonic Community-led, not-for-profit organisation focused on creating vibrant and inclusive urban LGBTQ+ affirming retirement communities to address issues of loneliness and isolation of older LGBTQ+ people. tonichousing.org.ukRIBA Collections: LGBTQ+ spaces Research guide to a few of the historical spaces that have formed sites where LGBTQ+ communities have explored, celebrated or concealed sexual and gender identities. architecture.comQueerscapes A platform and community for queer and trans spatial practitioners, including architects, designers, landscape architects, urbanists, builders, gardeners, artists and anyone working with space. queerscapes.com @_queerscapesQueercircle Charity founded to fill the gaps and advocate for systemic change where other arts, health and education institutions fail or actively perpetuate harm, based in the Design District in a David Kohn-designed building. queercircle.orgQueer Design Club Online platform where LGBTQ+ designers can celebrate queer contributions to the design industry and visual culture, share their work and connect with each other. queerdesign.clubQuEAN: Queer Educators in Architecture Network Network of queer spatial design educators – with a focus on queer theory, pedagogies, identities and intersections with spatial design – founded by Gem Barton. @quean_the_networkQueer Places A growing, free digital archive celebrating the vibrant LGBTQ+ spaces of Liverpool’s past, present and future. queerplaces.co.uk @queerplacesQueer Scenarios A research, practice and dissemination community that explores and supports queer identities and queer approaches within critical spatial practices, working collaboratively between teaching staff and students. Based at Central Saint Martins. @queer_scenariosThis list is by no means comprehensive and there are plenty of other resources available. If you are doing something in this field, the AJ would love to hear from you. #goes #out #upcoming #events #calendar

To hear him tell it, veteran character actor Neal McDonough shocked his writing partners when he showed them the initial draft for his latest movie, The Last Rodeo. Where did this come from? his friends would ask. You write about Lee Marvin and tough guys. Those are your heroes! As much as it surprised the folks he knew, The Last Rodeo will feel quite familiar to anyone who knows McDonough from his many supporting roles. With his striking blue eyes and wide smile, McDonough’s become one of the most recognizable “that guys” in Hollywood, especially when he’s playing a tough one, whether that be Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger or the terrifying criminal Quarles in Justified. On the surface, The Last Rodeo protagonist Joe Wainright falls in line with those guys. Written by McDonough, Derek Presley, and director Jon Avnet, The Last Rodeo follows McDonaugh’s former championship bull rider as he returns to the sport to earn money for his grandson’s surgery. In addition to the rust he’s gathered in his years away from the sport, Joe must also overcome the physical injury that drove him out of bull riding and the mental and emotional scars left by the sudden death of his beloved wife, who succumbed to the same disease that now threatens his grandson. For McDonough this story of a man who will do anything for his family makes Joe stand out from his other more famous characters. And the idea came to him during a lonely moment after a shoot when a horrible but provocative thought popped into his head. “One day, I was driving home from work and I got gut-punched with the thought of what would become of me if something ever happened to Ruvé,” McDonough recalls to us. “I’m on the side of the highway in Arizona and the idea just came into my head, Rocky or Bull Durham for a grandpa who has to go back and save his grandson’s life because he’s dying of the same tumor that killed his wife. I just sat on the side of the road voice-dictating what I thought the script would be and I had the whole film, it just flew out of me.” Always open about his Catholic faith, McDonough’s quick to attribute the idea to divine inspiration. But he also admits that he made Joe a bull rider because he saw the sport as underrepresented in cinema. “I was looking for ideas because I love athletics. But when you get to a certain age, you can’t be the athlete anymore. You have to be the coach, and I was getting tired of being the coach. So I started asking, ‘Who’s the oldest rookie of the year?’ and ‘what’s an old story?'” McDonough remembers. He found his answer in bull riding, but the 59-year-old actor didn’t get to completely meld fiction and reality, at least when it came to Joe’s feats in the arena. “I wanted to be the guy on the bull all the time,” laughs McDonough. “I think everyone knows what a knucklehead I am when it comes to stunts and the physicality of acting in films. I love it. Being an athlete for so long, it’s just something that I always kind of told myself that I can still do, even at my age. But they would never let me get on an actual bull unless it was for ashot. But let me tell you this, they beat the living tar out of me on those mechanical bulls for months and months, and they’re not easy. The amount of times I got smoked off of that thing and got bashed… riding a bull ain’t easy.” McDonough’s commitment to embodying characters isn’t a surprise to anyone familiar with his work. He puts Joe Wainright alongside Buck Compton from Band of Brothers and Wyatt Kane from Tin Man as his favorites to play precisely because of the depth he brings to them, even when they’re silent. While Joe retains a warmth in his taciturn nature, some of McDonough’s other characters felt menacing in their stillness, such as Dave Williams in Desperate Housewives or Damien Darhk in the CW Arrowverse. But that was a skill McDonough had to learn early on. “You almost need a Dramamine just to watch my early stuff,” he admits. “But then I started to pare it down and be as simple as possible in everything. I was watching what John Wayne would do. People don’t think of John Wayne as one of the greatest actors of all time, but he understood stoicism better than anyone. He’d take that breath before he’d say a line and really think about what he was about to say before saying the line, and then really hammering it out there. Kevin Costner’s great at that, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, all those guys were great at listening to what’s going on. They’d take a second and say a line, not twenty lines.” As much as he admires those pillars of cinematic masculinity, McDonough also confesses that he initially saw himself as more of a comedian when he first came to Hollywood. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! “When I did Walking Tall, I thought they were bringing me in for the Johnny Knoxville character. I had read the script and was all prepared, and went in thinking I was going to crush this. But they said ‘No, no, no—we want you to play the villain.” Given his love for Wayne and McQueen, it seems odd that McDonough would go out for a part that eventually went to Johnny Knoxville. But McDonough cites another legend as a major influence, one not known for his silence. “William Shatner as Captain Kirk, my favorite captain!” he declares. Shatner’s a fitting model, given that McDonough made his Hollywood feature debut on a Star Trek movie, albeit in Star Trek: First Contact, the first film without Shatner on set. But McDonough doesn’t look back on the experience with sadness, in part because of the way the Next Generation cast supported him as a young actor. “Patrick Stewart became such a paternal figure to me because he knew it was my first big movie,” McDonough recalls. “Jonathan Frakes, who also directed, took it upon himself to bust my nuggets every single day on set. They said, ‘Look, we only have you for a short amount of time. You’re about to die, you’re the red shirt guy. So we’re going to make fun of you all day long.” He adds with a chuckle, “I was sort of like the toy they got to play around with. And you know, I saw Frakes about a year ago and he was like, ‘Gosh, to see what you’ve become ever since then and what you’ve gone through in your personal life to get here is inspirational for all of us.’ Coming from Jonathan Frakes, who’s an incredible talent, that was a great compliment.” McDonough’s work on First Contact also meant that he got to participate in franchise events, some of which involved his hero, William Shatner. The first time he and Shatner were at an event, McDonough admitted that he turned down the chance to meet the legendary actor, worried that the reality wouldn’t live up to the hero in his mind. “Then Shatner came up right behind me and they rolled him up on a wheelchair because he was 90 years old at the time. And he stands up from the wheelchair and gives me a big hug. He tells me, ‘I know exactly who you are and I’ve been following your career and I think you’re terrific.’ And that was just amazing.” Of course since then McDonough’s got the chance to play some heroes himself, including one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. McDonough has appeared several times as Dum Dum Dugan, a member of the Howling Commandos and an agent of SHIELD. Despite how well-received McDonough’s performances have been, and despite Dugan’s status as a fan favorite in the comics, he hasn’t been a regular in the MCU. “Every time I see Kevin Feige, I say, ‘What’s wrong with you? You’ve got one of the coolest characters and you don’t use him!'” jokes McDonough. “That’s the kind of character for me to play, a lughead from Boston who likes to have fun, but if there’s a fight to be had or someone messes with his family, watch out. I love that about Dum Dum, he’s tough as nails and all-American. C’mon, Kevin! Figure out how to bring Dum Dum back!” Whether or not Dum Dum Dugan will appear in Avengers: Doomsday remains to be seen, but until then, we know where we can find McDonough, playing the strong and silent type, whether that be aboard the USS Enterprise or holding tight to a bucking bull. #neal #mcdonough #playing #tough #guys

Since founding Kadre Architects in 2022, Nerin Kadribegovic’s firm has garnered a reputation for doing a lot with a little. Case in point: standardized drawing sets for ADUs and an interim housing development wedged between highways. More recently, the Los Angeles practice transformed defunct storefront space in Compton into a social services hub. The Compton Community Center opened early this year. It offers case management services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Residents can go to the center for document procurement, connections to medical and behavioral health services, applications for vouchers, support for acclimating back to the job market, and other critical social services. A double-height vaulted space greets visitors upon entry.HOPICS is the service provider Kadre Architects worked with that now operates the 1,000-square-foot space. The space boasts vaulted ceilings, and bespoke wood creations that climb up the front facade, and hover above the backyard. The interiors are washed in natural light. The neo-postmodern architecture pulls from its context. To the community center’s left is a yellow apartment block and, to its right, a church with a pitched roof. The Compton Community Center was painted white and yellow, and the wooden lattice that’s attached to the front facade mimics the church’s slanted profile. The center is located between an apartment block and a church.The original storefront space had a modest 10-foot floor-to-ceiling height. After taking the commission, Kadre Architects uncovered concealed attics. The designers opened up the ceiling to create a double-height vaulted space with skylights. Asymmetric wooden desks staffed by HOPICS employees greet visitors upon entry. These bits were constructed out of laminated plywood, and mirror the geometric floor patterns. Custom shelving was also made of plywood. The interior palette makes generous use of bright white and yellow, a nod to the service provider’s brand colors, the adjoining buildings, and Kadre’s signature color-drenched spaces more broadly. The rear parking lot was converted into a courtyard garden and playground for visiting families.Aerial view of the rear courtyard, showing the heavy use of color.The lot Kadre Architects negotiated is long and narrow. The back was transformed into a vibrant, polychromatic courtyard employees and visitors can enjoy. Informal, outdoor meetings with case managers happen there. Playground equipment from a nearby housing project was installed in the courtyard garden for visiting families. Trees were planted, and slivers of existing asphalt were cut out and replaced with artificial turf, creating moments of green respite, the designers shared. This softens what was once a parking lot. #kadre #architects #drenches #compton #community