NEW YORK, NY – GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, has teamed up with actor Kat Graham (Vampire Diaries) and Atlanta-based transgender advocate and performer Alissah Brooks to launch a new series of guests posts for GLAAD Newsroom that feature interviews with people making an impact on LGBT equality in the American South and beyond. The blog series is part of GLAAD’s Southern Stories initiative, which aims to build support for equality by elevating the experiences of LGBT people in six of the nation's southern states.

For more information, visit: http://glaad.org/southernstories

In the series’ debut post, Graham and Brooks speak with one of TIME Magazine's 'Most Influential Teens of 2014,' Jazz Jennings, who talks about her life and what it is like being an advocate for the transgender community at the age of fourteen. Read the full post here: http://www.glaad.org/blog/guest-post-vampire-diaries-star-kat-graham-and-alissah-brooks-chat-14-year-old-trans-advocate

“There is not enough focus on the successes and the accomplishments of the people in the LGBT community, especially within the transgender community. Alissah and I have a great platform with GLAAD and each other and plan to share it with others,” Graham said.

"I just want to help raise awareness for anyone that has been discriminated against or felt belittled," said Brooks.

Graham is a longtime member of GLAAD’s Atlanta Leadership Council and former co-chair of the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.