My Story

Hi. I’m Jordan (they/she/he) — a queer storyteller, speaker, and spiritual rebel who’s spent the last 20 years trying to make sense of the chaos and find my way back to myself.

If you’ve landed here, maybe you're curious about where I come from, what I’ve built, and what I care about most. Below is the shape of my story — the heartbreaks, the pivots, the miracles, and the messy middle. It’s not all of me, but it’s a good start. Thanks for reading.

1. My Roots:

  • Grew up queer in a conservative Southern Baptist environment in Hueytown, Alabama.

  • Felt deeply loved but not seen — family tried to love me into heteronormativity, which felt like erasure. Ultimately led to estrangement.

  • Early conflict between faith and identity led to repression, shame, secrecy, and a longing for authentic connection.

2. My Callings:

  • Studied biology and worked in science education, with a gift for teaching and translating complex ideas with passion and clarity.

  • Switched to theater (mostly out of survival) — found queer community, mentorship, and hope through creative expression.

  • New York became my crucible: hardship, discovery, freedom, pain, and the beginning of my true becoming.

  • It became clear to me that teaching and storytelling are my callings.

3. My Rollercoaster:

  • Worked at TED, helped launch TED-Ed — one of my proudest contributions (huge thanks to Logan Smalley).

  • Faced sexual harassment, systemic injustice, and eventually became a whistleblower.

  • Repeated experiences with toxic leadership and being underestimated, manipulated, or ignored, despite delivering extraordinary impact.

4. My Passion:

  • Founded VideoOut. Created community-driven, story-centered queer programming across 36 states.

  • Raised $3M. Partnered with major orgs (Google, Marriott, Airbnb, Hulu, P&G, etc.).

  • Organized large-scale events like SpeakOut, including a landmark conversation with Laverne Cox (huge thanks to Ryan Hallett and Marriott International).

  • Pandemic halted everything. Transitioned to deep self-reflection.

5. My Transformation:

  • Sobered up. Went fully vegan. Learned nonviolent communication. Studied deeply.

  • Reconciled with my family after years of estrangement — a miraculous, healing conversation rooted in love and new language.

  • Found spiritual teachers, developed emotional tools, built community, and met my husband Luis.

  • Healed patterns in love by learning to love yourself.

6. My Present:

  • I have two books in the works (Infinity Hotel and 72 Sermons).

  • I’m building Queer Church — a spiritual, communal, non-dogmatic sanctuary for queer people to experience belonging, reflection, and joy.

  • I’ve crafted five talks rooted in my lived experience and expertise.

  • I’m excellent at public speaking, writing, storytelling, and teaching.

  • I’m finally owning my brilliance and practicing self-care to avoid burn out.

P.S. If any of this resonates — whether you're looking for a speaker, collaborator, or just someone who's been through it — I'd love to connect.

Joyfully,
Jordan
jordan@videooutentertainment.com

Jordan Reeves