Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins (DoctorJonPaul) is an award winning educator, professor, national speaker, freelance journalist, thought leader and media critic who examines the intersections of identity, gender and race in entertainment. Named National Black Justice Coalition’s Inaugural Emerging Leaders to Watch and Business Equality Magazine’s “Top 40 LGBTQ People Under 40”, their work has been featured on sites like Essence, Ebony, Complex, MTV NEWS, Out Magazine, BET, Paper Mag and Entertainment Weekly. Dr. Higgins is the inaugural Director of Strategic Communications and Advocacy programs for RPYA (Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance) and has held positions at both Chernin Entertainment & Edith Productions. They are often sought out for inclusion projects centered on uplifting marginalized voices in media, working with brands including United Artists, Amazon, and other top media leaders like Fox, the NFL, Apple, Disney, Instagram, Buzzfeed, GLAAD and most recently, ULTA Beauty. They have also been a featured speaker for TEDx, SXSW and Coachella and can be seen on shows like “Nailed It” on Netflix, “Like a Girl” on Fuse and “Our America: Who I Am Meant to Be” - both on ABC and Hulu. They are the creator, executive producer and host of the Webby honored and Shorty Award winning “Black Fat Femme” podcast which was developed via IHeartMedia’s Next Up Initiative in 2021. The podcast has gone on to be named one of the “top Black podcasts to listen to” by Essence, Ebony and Pride magazine and spotlighted by Apple Podcast. Their book, “Black Fat Femme: Revealing the Power of Visibly Queer Voices in Media and How to Love Yourself” is out now via Wiley publishing and has garnered rave reviews from publications like Out Magazine, the Advocate, Queerty, Native Son and more. Dr. Higgins holds a doctorate in educational justice from University of Redlands and regularly writes and lectures on what liberation means for Black, queer, fat, non-binary people.

Molded by their hometown of San Bernardino, CA, Jon Paul's (they/them/theirs) passion for writing spawned from their love of television and wanting to see more stories that reflected the queer Black experience. After accumulating a diverse and extensive body of work in higher education, they begin studying the art of television through programs like Hillman Grad and Roadmaps Writers. Currently, they work as a TV/Film Development INtern with Chernin Entertainment and write regularly about the ways to make media more inclusive of Black queer/non-binary voices.