Summer House: Martha's Vineyard's Preston Mitchum's Advocacy Work Is Beyond Inspirational
The 38-year-old was the much needed voice of reason on Summer House: Martha's Vineyard, but at work he's often the voice for historically oppressed communities.
Preston Mitchum is one accomplished guy.
The Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard castmate has an impressive resume that extends far beyond being the much needed voice of reason on the inaugural season of the Summer House spin-off. From consulting reputable organizations to advocating for others, Mitchum's career is something to aspire to.
Keep reading to learn more about his work for The Trevor Project and more...
Here's what you may have missed on Bravo:
Dog Fights, Flirtations, and More — Everything That Happened on Summer House: Martha's Vineyard Season 1
"Nothing's Off the Table" in the Summer House: Martha's Vineyard Season 2 Sneak Peek
Here's Where the Summer House: Martha's Vineyard Cast's Relationships Stand in Season 2
What does Preston Mitchum do for a living?
Preston is an attorney, having received his law degree from North Carolina Central University before getting a Masters of Law from American University Washington College of Law, according to his LinkedIn profile.
But Preston, who hails from Dayton, Ohio, has perhaps made his biggest mark by giving a voice to the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
As an advocate and activist, Preston has worked for a long list of non-profit organizations with the goal of improving policies and rights for the LGBTQ+ community and young people. This work motivated him to launch his own consulting firm, PDM Consulting LLC, last year.
During his impressive career, Preston has been featured in The Washington Post, MTV, BET, The Atlantic, CNN, Fox News, and more, according to the bio on his website.
“In his more than a decade of legal and policy expertise, Preston has served in nonprofit organizations that center the voices of historically oppressed communities,” the biography reads.
Details on Preston Mitchum’s Advocacy Work
Preston's work has traditionally focused on mental health, gender justice, reproductive justice, race, and other issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
Preston, a proud member of the Black and queer communities himself, spent two years as a senior legal and international policy analyst for Advocates for Youth, before moving on to become the director of public policy for URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity.
Preston worked for almost two more years as the director of advocacy and government affairs for The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization aimed at suicide prevention among the LGBTQ+ community, before leaving the post in 2023 to strike off on his own.
RELATED: Why Summer House: Martha's Vineyard's Jordan Emanuel Is Celibate: "I Learned a Lot"
He opened up about his work with The Trevor Project and the emergence of so-called “bathroom bills” restricting trans youth during an episode of The Tent podcast.
“Simply put, we’re seeing a rise because far too many lawmakers see trans and nonbinary young people as a political wedge issue, as opposed to humans who need our safety and protection. And we also know that this has — could have — a negative mental health impact on trans and nonbinary people,” he said. “We have so much data to back this up at The Trevor Project, including polling that shows 85 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates alone about anti-trans[gender] laws have negatively impacted their mental health.”
When he isn’t on the frontlines doing interviews himself, for many years, Preston could be found teaching others.
For nearly six years, he served as an adjunct professor of law at the prestigious Georgetown University Law Center, focusing on LGTBQ health policy and law, before leaving the teaching position in 2023.
Today, he’s committed to his own consulting firm, PDM Consulting, LLC, but the firm has the same commitment to advocacy that has been a mainstay of Preston’s career and is “focused on the power of Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and young people.”
RELATED: Amir Lancaster Thanks Fredrik Eklund for Turning His "Dreams into Reality"
What fraternity is Preston Mitchum in?
The 37-year-old, who is based in Washington D.C., is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and currently serves as president of the Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter.
The fraternity is notable for being "the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans," according to the organization.
The "Voice of Reason" on Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard
Preston showed off his more laid-back, vacation personality on Season 1 of Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard and was often the voice of reason to his friends.
“No shade for my friends but I think it was easy to be the voice of reason within this house. I mean, I can’t be crazier than them!” he joked to The Cheat Sheet.
To find out whether the crew will be stirring up more drama, tune in to Season 2 of Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard premiering soon on Bravo. In the meantime, fans can catch up on all the Season 1 fun, streaming now on Peacock.
