Watch Moving Short Film That Sheds Light on Black Queer Community in Alabama Fighting for Basic Rights

The Knights and Orchids Society provides life-saving resources for the trans and queer Black communities in Alabama and the South

A new short documentary shows how members of the Black queer community in Alabama are coming together to fight for basic rights in the state. Devoted to the Dream, directed by trans Black filmmaker Tourmaline, features interviews with members of The Knights and Orchids Society (TKO), which provides healthcare, housing, food, support and important resources for the trans and Black communities in Alabama and other states in the South.

The film includes testimonials from those who work with TKO, praising the group for their support and making them feel welcome in the community.

"TKO was like the first time I felt like true community," Peyton, a TKO faith program assistant, said in the film. "They just, like, took me in like I was like one of their own. Especially in a time where I really needed it. So I'll forever appreciate them for that... and showing me what family really is."

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The film was produced by queer-owned creative agency RanaVerse as part of Unilever's "United We Stand" Pride/Human Rights campaign. RanaVerse CEO Rana Reeves leads the strategy for the UWS campaign to ensure it focuses on systemic change. Under his watch, UWS has grown from a New York-based Pride campaign to a national, year-round program. This year, Rapid City, South Dakota and Jonesboro, Arkansas were added as at-risk cities, bringing the number of cities in the program to seven.

“It’s exciting to see the United We Stand work in its fifth year and to see the program growing not just in terms of geography, but also the style of work that Unilever is exploring with partners across the United States,” Reeves said in a statement.

Reeves added, “The move to incorporate its LGBTQ+ work through the company, including sites that are in areas where there are few protections or services for LGBTQ+ people, continues to break new ground in the way corporations can work with our community to affect actual change on the ground."

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The UWS initiative also supports organizations in Monroe, Louisiana; Moore, Oklahoma; Clemson, South Carolina; and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Since those cities were added, they have increased their rankings on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipality Equality Index.

"Seeing four of the program’s initial partner cities move up the HRC Index was a great satisfaction, as it shows that change can happen if corporations are consistent and intentional in their support," Reeves said.

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"It says a lot about Unilever as a company that they have invested not just in the work but also in giving my team a seat at the table to develop the program in real collaboration and partnership," Reeves said, adding that this is what "equity in action looks like.”

“Based on the improvements we’ve seen in the majority of our UWS partner cities, we know that this program supports creating meaningful and measurable change in the lives of local LGBTQIA+ communities,” Unilever USA President Esi Eggleston Bracey said. “The organizations we partner with on the ground play a significant role in creating equity and belonging in these locations. I am inspired by the work being done and excited to expand our program’s footprint and the vital services it funds.”

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