Why OutTogether Exists
The Problem
Every year, transgender and genderqueer people return home from Washington's prisons and jails. Most face immediate crises: no housing, no healthcare, no support. Existing reentry programs weren't designed with us in mind.
Shelters turn us away. Employers won't hire us. Healthcare providers don't understand our needs. We're isolated from affirming community. The system sets us up to fail, and when we do, we're blamed for it.
OutTogether exists because our community deserves better.
How we started
OutTogether was founded by Jeremy Williams in 2026 after a decade of lived experience in Washington's prison system and professional work supporting LGBTQ+ people navigating reentry.
Jeremy saw firsthand how few resources exist for transgender and genderqueer people coming home. While working with Beyond These Walls, a nonprofit providing advocacy and reentry support across the Pacific Northwest, Jeremy built relationships, developed expertise, and witnessed the gaps that OutTogether now works to fill.
When Beyond These Walls lost funding due to federal budget cuts, Jeremy didn't give up on this community. Instead, he launched OutTogether to continue the work, this time rooted in Washington State and led by people who understand this journey from the inside.
What makes us different
Lived Experience Leadership
Our founder spent ten years incarcerated in Washington. We're not observers; we've walked this path.
Transgender Centered
Every service is designed with transgender and genderqueer people in mind. Your identity is never a problem.
Mutual Aid Model
We practice community care, not charity. Support flows in all directions.
Trauma-Informed Care
We understand incarceration trauma. Every interaction is rooted in dignity and choice.
Community Accountability
Our Advisory Council, who are all currently incarcerated transgender people, guides everything we do.