In celebration of PRIDE month, Hollywood’s power couple and reality stars [On Mekahel and Dave Cederberg](https://www.instagram.com/iamonmekahel/) are eager now more than ever to make a difference. Using their already established foundation as a launching pad, the pair has partnered with Jeffree Star Cosmetics in hopes of raising awareness towards the discrimination and abuse that happens behind bars, specifically towards incarcerated members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Backtrack a few years, Dave was incarcerated, facing hardships due to his sexuality. The topic of prison reform is something so near and dear to the couple’s hearts, and in return, the couple began a non-profit with a mission to provide more resources for community members. [TheOD Foundation](https://www.theodfoundation.org) gives counseling and emotional support to the LGBTQIA+ community members, who have been affected by the criminal justice system.
Mekahel’s goal and motivation for creating the foundation was, and continues to be, to empower the LGBTQIA+ community and reduce recidivism. Through counseling and relationship therapy, TheOD Foundation extends support to those who need a helping hand. Wanting to help make a difference during pride and inspired by On and his husband’s story, beauty mogul Jeffree Star pledged to donate $25,000 and have a portion of his sales this week go to TheOD Foundation. The couple is aware that opportunities like this don’t come by often and have exciting plans for the foundation’s future.
On and Dave are excited to support currently and formerly incarcerated LGBTQIA+ individuals with the help from these donations. Get to know the couple and get a deeper look inside their goals below.
* * *
**What initially inspired the idea behind TheOD Foundation?**
Our own experience with the system—Dave’s incarceration and the results we saw with the never-ending support I provided, soon after Dave was released from prison. We really wanted to figure out a way to lend support to those people who might not have a person or family to support them, as we learned throughout our own process. Our experience highlighted how important it is to have people, and resources available to you in order to make a positive change.
**When working on the foundation, what’s your biggest motivation?**
Our biggest motivation is remembering/honoring our past experience with the criminal justice system, being grateful for the place we are now, and hopeful that the foundation can provide a better future for incarcerated/formerly incarcerated individuals.
**Who is someone that currently works towards criminal justice that you two look up to? What do they do that you two hope to mirror with TheOD Foundation?**
Kim K for sure. The fact she chose to use her gigantic platform for such an important issue; one that hasn’t been given the time and attention, it helps to enact change. We also admire the work of Meek and Jay-Z, as they tackle the other side of the system: those who are on probation and parole, but who are still at high risk for incarceration.
**Where do you see the foundation in 5 years from now? What’s a goal you’re working towards reaching between now and then?**
Our goal is to help change the story of as many LGBTQ+ members as we can, who have found themselves stuck in a system that they need help finding their way out of. First and foremost, we want to keep our community members out of our jails and prisons altogether. On the other end, we want to ensure that policy makers, the general public and most importantly, corrections staff, understand the sensitive nature of the situation, while also holding them accountable for the ways that LGBTQ+ members are treated and dealt with in the system.
**How does Jeffree Star’s brand align with TheOD Foundation’s mission statement?**
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jeffree Star has always shown his unconditional love, support and care for our community. We couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated individual, who has such a successful brand, to contribute to our foundation. He is someone who is not afraid to speak his mind, especially on important issues that impact the LGBTQ+ community. Having someone of his magnitude and his voice behind our foundation is huge for us, and we are forever grateful for the opportunity he has given us to truly expand our foundation.
.jpg)
