I Love A Success Story - Jacob Tobia

Jacob Tobia - Genderqueer

From Jacob's Bio: Jacob Tobia is an actor, writer, producer, and author of the national bestselling memoir Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story with Putnam Books at Penguin Random House. Heralded by Deadline as an unprecedented move toward “authentic representation and inclusion,” Jacob made their television debut as the nonbinary character “Double Trouble” in Netflix’s She-Ra and The Princesses of Power. From interviewing former US Presidents to giving Trevor Noah an on-air makeover on The Daily Show, Jacob helps others embrace the full complexity of gender and own their truth, even when that truth is messy as hell. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Jacob currently lives in Los Angeles. 

A member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 and the OUT 100, Jacob made their debut on the national stage when they were interviewed by Laverne Cox as part of MTV’s The T Word. In 2015, Jacob was profiled in the one hour, GLAAD Award-nominated episode of True Life: I’m Genderqueer, and in 2016, Jacob created, co-produced, and hosted Queer 2.0, a first-of-its-kind LGBTQ series for NBC News. In 2017, they served as the Social Media Producer on Season 4 of Amazon’s Emmy Award-winning series, Transparent and collaborated with Instagram and GLAAD to produce #KindComments, a custom campaign for Trans Day of Visibility that was viewed over 14 million times. In 2018, Jacob produced and starred in a critically acclaimed revival reading of the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife and was announced as the new face of Fluid Beauty, a line of trans and queer-inclusive makeup.

PORTRAITS | JACOB TOBIA

A Point Foundation Scholar, Harry S. Truman Scholar, and recipient of the Campus Pride National Voice and Action Award, Jacob has captivated audiences at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, SXSW, and conferences across the country with their message of personal fabulosity and social change.  Their writing and advocacy have been featured on MSNBC, MTV, The Washington Post, The New York Times, TIME, New York Magazine, Teen Vogue, Playboy, The Guardian, and Jezebel, among others.

Jacob graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University with a degree in Human Rights Advocacy. Prior to their career in television, Jacob worked at the United Nations Foundation and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. Jacob is an avid Sriracha devotee and has worn high heels in the White House twice (take that Donald!)

See more portraits here.

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What a concept - Not everyone's definition of gender is the same!  We stretch  the  bounds and need to accept that there is a place for all under our glorious "Transgender Umbrella.".  As Jacob states:

Jacob invites us to rethink what we know about gender and offers a bold blueprint for a healed world--one free from gender-based trauma and bursting with trans-inclusive feminism.