Laura A. Jacobs
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aura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R, is a trans and genderqueer psychotherapist, activist, writer, and public speaker in the New York metropolitan area whose work addresses transgender and gender non-conforming, LGBTQ+, and sexual/ gender diversity issues. Jacobs currently serves as chair of the board for the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which since the early-post Stonewall era has provided comprehensive care, regardless of ability to pay, to the LGBTQ community. Jacobs is the first trans and genderqueer person to occupy that position. Recipient of the 2017 Dorothy Kartashevich Award by the Community Health Center Association of New York State, they were honored “In recognition of your dedication and advocacy to ensure high-quality health care for all.” Jacobs has been featured on NPR, MSNBC, NBCNEwsOnline, SiriusXM, and CBSNews, and in
GayCityNews.nyc | April 26 - May 9, 2018
Trans Mental Health Expert, Agent of Community Well-Being The New York Times, and has spoken at countless organizations, conferences, and universities. Jacobs is also a contributor at Huffington Post. Writing about a wide array of topics, they have taken Jamie Foxx to task for taking out against Caitlyn Jenner in an unfunny comedy routine, taken Caitlyn Jenner to task for doing all those things that Caitlyn Jenner does, offered advice to gender non-conforming youth, and pushed back against politically reactionary forces from North Carolina to the White House.
Their book, “You’re In The Wrong Bathroom!,” co-authored with Laura Erickson-Schroth, was published in May 2017. Debunking the 21 most common myths and misperceptions about transgender issues, the book has won widespread praise from leading trans figures as well as mental health professionals. Barnard College professor and New York Times columnist Jennifer Finney Boylan wrote, “A breath
of fresh air. This book provides, with equal measures of scholarship and humanity, thoughtful pushback against the most common misconceptions, misunderstandings, and just plain lies about trans people and the people who love them. A book for everyone, ‘You’re in the Wrong Bathroom’ will open hearts, change minds, and save lives.” Dr. Carol Bernstein, M.D., the former president of the American Psychiatric Association, wrote, “Amid all the misinformation about trans lives and people, this is a refreshingly accurate book that covers the most pernicious myths and also has the virtue of being written accessibly. Everyone from therapists and teachers to parents and young people will find the book invaluable.” As Lawrence Jacobs, they worked as a musician, composer, photographer, and in the decidedly less glamorous world of corporate middle management.
2018 Gay City News Impact Awards
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