Jordan Reeves is the founder and executive director of VideoOut, which produces LGBTQ+ stories, content and programs that educate the world on how to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. We recently checked in with Jordan, a member of the 2017 Creative Community Fellows, to see what they’ve been up to and find out how the NAS community can support their mission.
What are you most proud of in your work life right now? There are currently over 250 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures in 2021 including at least 35 bills that would prohibit transgender youth from being able to access best-practice, age-appropriate, gender-affirming medical care. So far in 2021, eight anti-LGBTQ bills have already been enacted into law, and another ten are already on governors’ desks awaiting signature — poised to surpass 2015 as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in history. It’s no coincidence that the average lifespan of a trans woman of color is 35 years and there’s been a 266% increase in trans murders in 2021. LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness. One in two Black trans people has been incarcerated, and one in three Black trans youth has tried to take their life in the last year. That’s why I do this work! When I was a young, queer kid in Alabama, I was utterly alone. All I learned about the LGBTQ+ community was what I was taught at my Southern Baptist church or from the various adult websites I found in secret during my teenage years. Needless to say, it wasn’t affirming or accurate. It wasn’t until I heard another LGBTQ+ person share their story that I felt seen and heard. Sharing stories is the heart of what we do. And we’ve shared hundreds told by LGBTQ+ folks all over the United States.
Over the last year, during the pandemic, VideoOut’s team grew to four people. We all took a deep dive into our mission and vision and how they manifest in communities. We realized a very important truth. Our stories, as powerful and important as they are, exist in a vacuum unless they are contextualized with educational content and wielded as advocacy tools. We once focused exclusively on storytelling as a form of advocacy, but more and more, we are focusing on education. Over the next year, we are launching a multi-phase initiative we’re calling The LGBTQ+ Learning Project. It will be a comprehensive and holistic approach to education that includes LGBTQ+ folx whose lived experiences are reflected in the content. We’ll depend on many partners to make this a reality. The first one, already lined up and ready to go, is Google. They’ve come on board as a major sponsor to help us kick off the initiative (the first phase), and we can’t wait to share it with you. I’ve learned over the last 20 years that a holistic approach to storytelling and advocacy is necessary to end the suffering of LGBTQ+ people still facing bigotry. It’s also necessary to shepherd people along their journey of limited awareness to expanded comprehension. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. For that, I am extremely proud.
What are you most struggling with? It’s not easy. Working for a nonprofit that serves the most marginalized communities around the United States doesn’t always have the sexy, polished appeal of some nonprofits. That’s not to say that other nonprofits aren’t important, and that sexy and polished are necessary attributes. On the contrary. Many of those organizations have paved the way for us to go in and do the work that we do, and we’re so grateful. Often, however, those we approach for support and partnerships look for organizations with larger social followings or multiple celebrity endorsements. This is an issue that many organizations face — one that we’ve committed to help solving by working with as many smaller, grassroots organizations as possible. Thank goodness for supporters who get it. Those that understand the value of what we’re doing. We are a national organization working holistically in the hinterlands of the United States. Local LGBT Centers are critical resources, but are often underfunded and overtaxed. Their staff are volunteers and their services, while completely radical and totally badass, are often duct-taped together. We can and must do better. VideoOut offers services to the underfunded partners we work with for free of charge. That means we need more support to do the work. Our hope is to provide all of the educational content, storytelling programs, and even moral support for the hyper-local, boots-on-the-ground organizations that we can. Our dreams are really big. I mean, really big! We aim to be a $2.5 million per year organization and are raising a capital fund for a top-secret, national project that tops $500 million. The biggest struggle we have is communicating the immediate need for this kind of investment in VideoOut while proving to folks that we are capable and committed. We’ve proven our concept, and we’re doing high-impact work. Now, we just need brave supporters, donors, and partners to step up to the plate and sign their name to help us accomplish our mission.
Is there anything this community can do to support you?
There are four specific ways the community can help us out.
Number 1:
Follow us on social media. Believe it or not, this helps in really big ways. As partners and grantmakers assess our impact, one of the metrics they’re looking at is our social media reach. By following us on Instagram, you help us increase our reach and attract more support. Also, our content on social media is empowering — geared towards making the community feel loved, seen, proud, and full of joy. So it’s a really positive experience. We’d love help reaching the 10k follower mark by the end of the year.
Number 2:
Sign up for a monthly donation. We know this is asking a lot, but our work is by and for the community. So your support is crucial. By signing up for $5 monthly donation, you’ll help us reach our goal of raising $2.5 million by the end of the year. If you can give more, please do. Your donations are tax deductible. Help us raise money by starting your own fundraising campaign. Are you doing a marathon, a bake sale, a dinner party? Turn it into a fundraiser for VideoOut. You can build a campaign and invite all of your friends through our fundraising platform partner, Give Lively. And by all means, please connect us to people in your network who are interested in supporting VideoOut at a legacy level. We’re currently seeking funders who can give at $25k – $250k level.
Number 3:
Join our Brain Trust. This group of thinkers and doers weighs in on everything we do. They’re the soul of the organization. They represent the communities we serve and give us valuable input and guidance as we build programs and content that directly serve LGBTQ+ populations across the United States. We send a short, monthly email to the Brain Trust, and we meet a few times per year (which is really fun) to brainstorm and imagine the best ways to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Number 4:
Join our Board of Directors. We’re currently recruiting for the July 2021 – June 2023 term. The board meets 4 times a year and is responsible for ensuring we stay on track. It’s a crucial role! If you or anyone you know is interested in board service, please contact us directly. Board elections happen in June.
Is there anything you want to offer to this community?
We always say, “Nothing about us without us.” And that means that anyone working to make the world a better place is a part of what we’re doing. And we like to consider ourselves a part of your work too! We’re all in this together, right? If we can be of any assistance — whether that’s partnering on a program, giving advice, or just listening (we love you!!), we’re always down to be a part of this community.
Keep up with VideoOut on Instagram @VideoOut and donate to their cause at http://www.videoout.org/donate
