Growing up in a Southern Baptist household in Texas, Victor Evans struggled with his identity and sexuality at a young age. Now, as a professor, documentary producer and children’s book author, he’s trying to help gay Black youth navigate the path forward. 

Evans, who teaches mass communications theory as part of CJC’s Online Master’s Program and is an assistant professor at Seattle University in Washington, is an LGBTQ advocate who has spent his life doing research on the topic, resulting in:

• Three articles in peer-reviewed journals about streaming, focusing on LGBTQ content. “My research has found that if you’re looking for truly diverse, authentic, genuine depictions of LGBTQ characters, you will find them on the streaming network, particularly those catering to the LGBTQ community. I think television is doing a better job, but when it comes to film, you are going to find way more diverse LGBTQ content on the streaming sites than you will ever find at a movie theater.”
• A series of books based on the life of Evan Sinclair, a gay Black middle school student. “I didn’t see a lot of younger gay male characters in books and thought there was a need for that,” he said. The second installment, “The Double Case of Sticky Fingers,” was scheduled to be released in March 2024.
• Two documentary films focusing on LGBTQ media representation. He’s learned that many companies have moved to online streaming for programs that include LGBTQ characters. YouTube, he found, has a space for such user-created series and short films created by and for LGBTQ communities.

Evans received his B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, his Master’s of Arts of Dramatic Writing & Media from New York University and his Ph.D. in Media Studies from Union Institute and University.

His work history at media outlets includes Development and Talent assistant at MTV Networks and Entertainment News Producer at CNN Headline News, among others. Since 2013 he’s taught at several colleges and universities and now is the director of Summer Programs at Seattle University.

At UF, many of the students in his graduate class are working in the field; some are trying to get promoted, others may have their eyes on new jobs.

“There are a few who say they are making a switch – one changed from nursing to communications. That's what makes the grad program so different from my other experiences. I rely on them to share with me what they’re doing, what they’re working on, what new trends are going on. They bring a lot of that information to the forefront so we can all learn.”

Evans said he uses his research and life experiences when he teaches.

“I often discuss my research throughout the course because I use many of the communication theories discussed in the class within my own research, particularly the cultivation theory, the spiral of silence theory, the social identity and mood management theories. I discuss how I use those theories in my own research and how I’m able to get reliable and accurate results.”

But it goes even further, and he often talks more personally.

“I talk a lot about my past experiences and share many regrets that I have about decisions that I made or decisions that I didn’t make and what the consequences were for those in an effort to help them learn from my mistakes,” he said. “I also talk about how I’ve seen the communication industry change over the 20 years that I’ve worked in it and what qualities and sensibilities we need in today’s journalists and communicators in order to re-shift our focus from the partisan back to being more objective.” 

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