Kate Bornstein

Celebrated transgender trailblazer Kate Bornstein has—with humor and spunk—ushered us into a world of limitless possibility through a daring re-envisionment of the gender system as we know it. Kate lives on the edge of paradox: she is not a man, and not a woman. She looks beyond the binary to see gender as both a conscious practice, and a playful journey.
Kate was born Albert Bornstein in 1948, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. At an early age, he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t a boy, and she didn’t want to grow up to be a man. To Kate, being a boy was all acting—which served her in good stead as the first person to graduate from Brown University with degree in Theatre Arts. As a highly skilled actor, Kate knows what she’s talking about when she speaks of gender as performative.

Kate’s work is taught in five languages, in over 200 high schools, colleges, and universities around the world. The titles of her books say a lot about who she is, and how she views things:

• Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us
• My New Gender Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity.
• Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws
• A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She Is Today

Kate has been lecturing and performing for over 25 years. Currently, Kate is a regular cast member of the second season of E! TV’s “I Am Cait,” with Caitlyn Jenner. Recently, she’s been featured on MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris Perry” show, and she is the subject of the award-winning documentary, “Kate Bornstein Is a Queer and Pleasant Danger,” by Sam Feder. Kate’s work on suicide prevention, and her advocacy for marginalized and at-risk youth has earned her two citations of outstanding citizenship from the New York City Council.

If you haven’t read Kate’s work or heard her speak before, get ready—she is the radical role model, the affectionate best friend, and the guiding mentor all in one. You will come away energized, comforted, and full of hope.