Photographer Chris Behroozian explains how he’s celebrating Pride while werking from home
This month we celebrate Pride, and the theme, “Werk! (from home)” is a nod to the ballroom culture of the late 80s and early 90s. We chatted with Dropbox photographer Chris Behroozian about his favorite Dropbox memories, what content he’s binging during quarantine, and how he has found a community in Pridebox (our LGBTQ+ employee resource group.)
How are you werking from home right now?
I have a routine down, so I’m getting kind of comfortable working from home. I do miss my friends — two of my best friends live so close to me, and we’ve talked about wanting to do things with each other, but I haven’t seen them in months. It’s kind of strange, but the work part has been alright.
Are there specific elements of Drag or Ball culture that you’re especially drawn to?
I was just watching Legendary on HBO, so ballroom culture is something I’m kind of new to. But just watching people perform in that way and display that level of confidence makes me so inspired and excited. What I take away from it is finding these little things or expressions in myself that I can display that make me feel the same way as when I watch ballroom shows.
What was your first day at Dropbox like?
I interviewed for my team when it was just three people, so my interview was just a presentation to them. This was my first career-type job coming out of school, so I was pretty timid. It was also my first role doing photography. I was all too aware of the lack of experience I had and my quiet nature, but I later found out that some of those things actually gave a positive impression to Arash. Especially since he’s a cofounder, it was a really welcoming feeling.
What team are you on?
I do photography on the BlackOps team.
What office do you work in?
San Francisco.
What is your favorite part of Pridebox (our LGBTQ+ employee resource group)?
I’ve been a part of a few cool meetings and events. It’s nice to be able to have a little community outside of your own team, as you need that sometimes.
What have you learned about yourself from current or past Pride months?
Leading the Pride Art Fair in 2018 was a new experience for me. I just brought up the idea, and they told me I could take ownership as much as I wanted. I learned that I enjoyed that — I’m typically a contributor, but I learned through that experience that I don’t mind leading something that’s naturally enjoyable to me.
Do you have a favorite Dropbox moment?
My favorite moments really revolve around the ERG portraits that I’ve been able to take. It feels amazing when people tell me they like an ERG portrait I’ve taken of them.
What’s your power move and/or song in a lip sync for your life?
Lip syncing for my life is one of my biggest fears! But I’ve been listening to the Tinashe album a lot. And I’m entertaining Gaga’s new album — I know it’s expected for that to be everyone’s Pride album, and that’s probably the reason I’m listening to it, but I do like Rain On Me and the video!
What Dropbox office would you most like to visit?
I’ve been lucky enough to be able to visit quite a few. I did a trip to the Tel Aviv office last year, and that was one of my favorite work trips. Tokyo sounds fun, too.
What’s your favorite Tuck Shop (our cafeteria) station?
I like the vegan station; I go through vegan burger phases for months at a time. I love the Mediterranean one too.
What part of the office do you miss most during quarantine?
There are so many little cute colorful spaces we have in our office that I miss. I miss the gym too!
What queer content have you been binging during distributed work?
RuPaul won’t stop putting out shows — All Stars just started back up. I also just started the first episode of the new season of Queer Eye, which is fun. And the first week of quarantine my friend was DJing for this online Zoom club called Club Quarantine, which now has turned into a big nightly thing, so I’ll often tune into that if I feel like having a glass or two of wine to wind down.
Category is Behroozian Extravaganza…. what lewk are you serving?
I’m serving bowl cut, baggy cargo pants with a mock turtleneck either tucked in or slightly cropped, and Doc Martens. And maybe a little eyeshadow if I want!
You can learn more about the various ERGs that support team members of all different backgrounds at Dropbox here.
