5 Reasons Why You Should Donate $10 to the "King Ester" Fundraiser Right Now

1. Because I said so. Do it now.  Here's the link: www.seedandspark.com/fund/kingester

That's the only reason. This is not a listicle. I tricked you. HA!!!

Alright, alright, you need reasons and backstory and such. Fine.

"King Ester" is a web series about a young trans woman in New Orleans who must make up her mind about leaving the city before Hurricane Katrina makes landfall. It's about the hardships faced by many in the trans community, and the lack of socio-economic resources available to enable them to transition with grace. It showcases the challenges of being trans in today's society, but also inspires all of us to fight constraints to achieve success. Production has wrapped, and all that's left is post-production, and that's where you and I come in.

"King Ester's" writer and director, Dui Jarrod, is a great friend of mine, and with each project that he completes, I admire his journey as a storyteller more and more. This one, as he says on the fundraiser site, required some serious introspection and soul searching while penning the the script; the kind of introspection that most cis men refuse to do. As a result, he's bringing a truly empathetic, unique, and soulful story to your screen, featuring a cast that includes performer and recording artist DeJayé in the title role, and the original Aunt Viv, Janet Hubert, as her mother.

Photo by Reginald Dorns

Last week, I had the pleasure of covering their VIP fundraising event on the @kingesterseries Instagram Stories feed: introducing the actors, crew, and producers; meeting other project backers, and dancing with all of them. Literally every one involved in the making of this series is lovely on the inside and out, and is committed to seeing this all the way through to the end. 

Photo by Yours Truly

I want to use my platform to support projects that I believe in. I believe in this one wholeheartedly, and you should also. So skip happy hour or Starbucks for a couple of days and give that cash over to the "King Ester" team. Both Starbucks and your local craft brewery will be just fine. $5, $10, $15, $20... give what you can. And once you have, please consider sharing the donation link with your peoples.