Pace University in New York is hosting a “protest photography” exhibit with a group whose founder identifies as a “Firebird.”
Pace University Art Gallery is partnering with the group “Blasian March” to launch its “Critical Connections: Protest Photography Past + Present” exhibit, which starts on Thursday at 5:00 PM. The exhibit “features the work of three contemporary photographers . . . alongside historic images from the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War protests.”
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Blasian March is a group that seeks to promote “solidarity action” between “Black/African, Asian and mixed Blasian communities” through “education on parallel struggles with white colonial settler violence and mutual celebration of our lives.” The group debuted on Oct. 11, 2020, with an event featuring speakers who were all “women, LGBT and/or disabled.”
The founder of Blasian March is Rohan Zhou-Lee, a “Filipinx” man whose so-called “gender identity” is “Firebird” and who goes by the pronouns “They | Siya | 祂(Tā) | Elle.” He is a “dancer, writer, and organizer” who has spoken about “racial, gender, and disability justice” at multiple universities and whose work “has been featured on CNN, NBC Chicago, USA Today, WNYC, and more.”
Zhou-Lee was personally involved in helping set up the exhibit at Pace University, curating several photographs.
The three featured photographers are Stas Ginzburg, who “immigrated to the U.S. from Russia as a queer Jewish refugee,” Josh Pacheco, a “two spirit/genderqueer Mexican-American artist,” and Cindy Trinh, a photographer and activist “who is passionate about social justice and human rights.”
Besides marches, Blasian March also organizes “Black Asian Book Fairs” and “virtual healing circle[s].”
Pace University has hosted similar events before that focused on “social justice” and “LGBTQ” matters.
The school recently hosted its annual “Social Justice Week” from Oct.26-Nov. 2, a series of events meant to “create brave spaces that challenge white supremacy among other forms of oppression.”
Pace University also held a segregated “Lavender Graduation” ceremony on May 7 that LGBT-identifying students could attend.
Campus Reform has reached out to Pace University, Rohan Zhou-Lee, and Blasian March for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
