During Pride Month, SIS is highlighting the work of several alumni whose professional roles feature advocacy for policies that protect and advance goals of the LGBTQ+ community.

Up first is Albert Fujii, SIS/BA ‘19, who currently works as the press secretary for both the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to recruiting and training future LGBTQ+ candidates, and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political action committee (PAC) that endorses and supports LGBTQ+ candidates. We talked with Fujii about his career journey, how SIS helped prepare him for his current role, and ways in which individuals can support the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month and beyond.

A Change in Trajectory

Albert Fujii was covered in mud from a Pennsylvania swamp when he decided to make a pivot in his career trajectory. 

Fujii, a native of Seattle, Washington, had initially thought he wanted to be an archaeologist when he first came to American University. The adventure of archaeology and the prospect of discovering things previously unknown fascinated Fujii, and during his time as a student, he participated in anthropology digs each summer through AU’s Anthropology Department.

However, one summer, while in the middle of an archaeological dig, he had a realization.

“I remember we were excavating on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border,” Fujii said. “Imagine this West Coast kid who comes from dry Seattle, no humidity in sight, and now I’m over here in Pennsylvania in the mud in an excavation site in a swamp…There I was, out there in the mud, so swampy, so hot, and I was like ‘I cannot do this for the rest of my life’. I love to backpack, I used to go camping, but nothing prepared me for being in that heat and in that mud, and I was like ‘you know what, this is not for me’.”

It was then that Albert decided to make a change and delve into the world of policy and advocacy, beginning a journey that would ultimately lead to supporting hundreds of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office.

From Antiquities to Campaigns

During his senior year at AU, Fujii began working with the Antiquities Coalition, an organization that campaigns against cultural racketeering—the illicit trade of ancient artifacts and art. The job built upon Fujii’s interest in learning about antiquities smuggling, which he first began researching in high school and maintained as an interest during his time at SIS.

After about a year and a half at the Antiquities Coalition, Fujii went on to work as a communications assistant for the Fulbright Program before taking a public affairs job at the Global Strategy Group.

Fujii has since made another career move and currently works as the press secretary for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, an organization and PAC focused on helping more LGBTQ candidates run for office and get elected at all levels of government.

While his current role does not include trips to excavation sites, Fujii said his job with the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund still fulfills his need for adventure.

“I wanted to be an archaeologist because I loved the adventure of discovering new secrets or learning about historic cultures that don't exist anymore, and I think that in a lot of ways, each of my jobs has sort of scratched that itch in one way or another,” Fujii said. “Last [election] cycle, we had over 500 candidates who we endorsed, so helping out on over 500 political campaigns is like 500 mini adventures all wrapped up in one. So, I feel like I get to sort of stay curious and scratch my adventurous side.”

From SIS to the Real World

Fujii describes his journey after graduating from SIS as “non-linear,” but said there are many lessons he learned during his time at AU that have stuck with him in the first few years of his career. Paramount among them is understanding politics and power and how to leverage available resources to advocate for important causes.

“At SIS, I focused on Middle Eastern foreign policy, which one may think really doesn't have a lot of parallels to, for example, electing LGBTQ school board candidates, but I think that the way SIS professors and the curriculum taught us is that there are patterns out there in every political space,” Fujii said. “If you look at those patterns, you can start to figure out how you can use them to your advantage to push for things you care about.”

Most of all, Fujii said the culture of SIS instilled in him a desire to live a life that revolves around service.

“When I try to put together the dots and when I think through where I want to be 10 years from now, I always want to have a sense of adventure, always want to be curious, and then always have service at the heart of whatever I’m doing,” Fujii said. “I think that’s something AU looks for in students and helps them cultivate while they’re on campus and beyond.”

Going Beyond Pride Month

While millions in the United States and around the world may pay closer attention to LGBTQ+ rights and issues during the month of June, organizations like the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund advocate for the LGBTQ+ community every day of the year. Fujii said right now is an “inflection point” for the LGTBQ+ community because, on one hand, “more anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures than ever before in modern US history” in 2023, but there are also more LGBTQ+ lawmakers serving in government than ever before.

“Our community is united,” Fujii said. “We're under attack, but at the same time, not only do we have each other's backs, but it's also pushing so many LGBTQ+ leaders to get over that first hump of considering running for office themselves.”

As for the future of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, Fujii said there are several pieces of legislation that still need to be passed at the state and federal level, including the Equality Act, which would explicitly prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Fujii said getting this legislation and others passed will require the support of allies and corporations outside of just Pride month, adding that companies cannot claim to be LGBTQ allies while writing checks to members of Congress who support anti-LGBTQ policies.

“Though other people may only pay attention during June, the LGBTQ community certainly pays attention throughout the year, so we need folks to really consider ‘ally’ a verb and make sure that they're showing up and speaking up every single day on behalf of our community,” Fujii said.