River Friloux (he/him) is a current student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, studying sociology and visual arts. His current research project - The Glamorization of the Cruel Object - involves exploring the complex relationships between the rise and evolution of 20th century fascism, 21st century cultural attitudes, and aesthetic Minimalism. Additionally, his scholarly interests include the evolution of queer/trans art, architectural sociology, and 21st century far-right political theory.

 

Beyond academia, River is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer whose passion to create spans across several artistic mediums, centering disabled perspectives in both his creative process and artistic voice. He plans to pursue a PhD in sociology and further his research along the intersection of queerness, disability, and sociological theory.

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During his internship with the PTL Project (August - December 2024), River will perform an accessibility review of the PTL Project’s website and social media templates and provide actionable recommendations for making the Project’s content as accessible as possible. He will also conceptualize and illustrate a visual component to the PTL Project’s LGBTQ+ Stories from Nazi Germany initiative.

 

Reflecting on his motivation to join the PTL Project, River says "To me, the Pink Triangle Legacies Project is an avenue to inspire and motivate queer people - especially queer youth wrestling with their budding identities in a world that constantly seems so at odds with their very wellbeing - to thrive in the face of adversity. Knowing the scarred but courageous legacies of past queer lives has always been essential to feeling secure in my own queer identity, especially as someone who grew up surrounded by both covertly and explicitly homophobic and transphobic attitudes and feared having to fight the war of self-acceptance alone. I feel that this is the reality for many young queer people today, especially in the wake of recent waves of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. This program has the opportunity to be that supportive voice of the past, and thus appealed to not only my academic interests, but my deeply entrenched personal values as well."