The office met with community leaders on how it could protect LGBTQ+ people in the coming legislative session.
Locals are calling on assault charges against Rose to be dropped, claiming she was defending herself from attackers.
Rep. Lorena Austin is the nation’s first nonbinary Chicane legislator, which comes with complex politics in a historically conservative area—but it’s also rewarding.
LOOKOUT is actively seeking pitches, from features to full investigations. Send ideas to editor@lookoutphx.org.
Joseph Darius Jaafari (he/him)
Editor in Chief, Founder
Joseph@lookoutphx.org
Joseph Darius Jaafari is an investigative reporter and editor based out of Phoenix, Arizona. He received his undergraduate degree in film from York College in Queens, New York as well as a graduate degree in urban reporting and documentary filmmaking from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Originally from Mesa, Arizona, he worked as a features writer for the San Mateo Daily Journal, San Francisco’s 7x7 Magazine, and worked in legal trade publications covering military health and workers’ compensation. He has written accountability features on policing within Toronto, Seattle and Detroit’s queer communities for Rolling Stone Magazine, THEM, Teen Vogue and VICE News. His documentary WOOF: A Barkumentary received international recognition for its work on exposing abuse within the queer kink scene. He also has been published in The Atlantic, VICE News, and The New York Times on issues such as military safety, HIV discrimination, and sexual assault in rural Africa.
Since 2018, Jaafari has worked as an investigative reporter for The Marshall Project, PA Post, Spotlight PA and The Arizona Republic covering prisons, jails, and police. His work on that beat has earned him recognition from the Keystone Awards, Best of the West and he was a finalist for both the Silver Gavel Award and the Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism.
Jacob Hylton (he/him)
Founding Executive Director
Jake@lookoutphx.org
Jake is no newcomer to the startup, small business sphere. He made his first introduction to the small business world at 10 years old, when both his mothers started their own business running and consulting restaurants. For the next seven years, Jake would assume the role of apprentice to his mothers, learning everything from customer service, bookkeeping, business development, and leadership.
After pursuing an arts degree and spending his early twenties working in, managing, and founding arts organizations, Jake decided to trade his love of arts for the world of startups. He worked for multiple startups, then quickly realized that he was best-suited to run a business of his own. For the last five years, Jake has worked in residential housing, leading The Jake Hylton Team with Retro Real Estate. Armed with an array of small business knowledge, a love for his home-state’s LGBTQIA+ community, and a love for his partner Joseph’s passion for accountability reporting, Jake signed on to be the Founding Executive Director of LOOKOUT.
Jacob Hylton (he/him), President
Meg Taylor (she/they), Secretary
Keith Hilzendeger (he/him), Treasurer
Kat Carlson (she/her)
Gaelle Esposito (she/they)
Joseph Darius Jaafari (he/him), Ex-officio
Fierce. Independent. Queer.
