A public voice beyond performance

Mecum has discussed equality, charity and civic participation alongside his work in front of the camera. Interviews and a voting campaign show several ways he has used that public visibility.

Supporting Rainbow Railroad

In his 2018 interview with Bruna Jones, Mecum said he and Carter Dane were using their platform to support Rainbow Railroad. He described an interest in helping LGBT people facing persecution reach safety.

He hoped to do more of that work. His comments describe a cause he supported; they do not establish an official role within the organisation.

Joining a voting campaign

Mecum was among the performers who appeared in Bruce Beckham’s public-service video ahead of the United States midterm elections in November 2018. The message encouraged viewers to go to the polls.

Released before the November 6 election, the video brought several industry figures together around civic participation. Mecum took part in the collective appeal.

Equality as a shared concern

Speaking to DNA in 2019, Mecum connected the treatment of women with the treatment of minority groups. He argued for equal treatment and described Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work as inspiring.

That concern sits alongside his broader reluctance to judge people through narrow categories. In Charlie David’s documentary, he joined a conversation about identity that extended beyond a performer’s on-screen work.