Welcome David Arriaza to the DC Center! As the new Health and Wellness Intern. David (He/Him/His) looks forward to having a great learning experience while serving the LBGT community in DC. You can meet David (He/Him/His) at the DC Center on weekdays and some evenings. David (He/Him/His) is looking forward to being the best Health and Wellness intern that ever was.
Birthday, Astrological Sign
November 6th, 1981, Scorpio
Where are you originally from?
I am from California’s northern Bay Area but I was born and raised in El Salvador.
Why did you start working at the DC Center?
During my youth I volunteered at Positive Images (Sonoma county’s Queer youth and young adult center) and I would like to use the skill I have learned while working at the DC Center.
What has been your favorite part about working at the DC Center?
As this is my starting week I have yet to discover all the wonderful things that The Center has to offer.
What is your music anthem?
The Origin of Love as performed by John Cameron Mitchel in the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch. And, The Queen of Mean as performed by Sarah Jeffry in the Disney movie Descendants 3.
What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community?
I like the feeling that I belong and the freedom of being myself in public. I was brought up in a very repressive culture during my childhood in Central America and having the opportunity to experience the shift in the Queer community in the U.S. has become one of the best experiences of my life.
What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there?
So far I have only been a couple of weeks here in DC for the first time, but I have had the opportunity to visit some of the monuments in the National Mall. By far what I have enjoyed the most is the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. It makes me feel like a child once again when all I ever wanted to do in life was to become a paleontologist and study dinosaurs.
What is your favorite queer movie?
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, But I Am a Cheerleader, Short Bus, etc.
What color would you paint the White House, given the chance?
All of the color into a kaleidoscope pattern so that it can represent every visible spectrum of light perceivable by the human eye.
Who do you look up to in the queer community?
I would like for it to be standard and not so much a separate instance of heteronormative society. I would like for the Queer community to be what interracialism has become for the last half a century and more.