JESSIE GENDER
Since childhood, shows like Star Trek have inspired Jessie Earl—better known as her YouTube handle Jessie Gender—in more ways than one. “They gave me the conviction and belief that humanity would one day evolve beyond our differences and pursue the best parts of ourselves and each other,” the writer, filmmaker, journalist, and LGBTQ+ advocate says. “And within those worlds, I found my own identity as a woman, as a trans person, and as someone who wanted hope for the future.” As Earl matured, so did her relationship to her beloved sci-fi stories. “I realized the need to talk more openly about issues affecting us all, be it as a woman, an LGBTQ person or beyond,” she reflects. Earl found her voice on YouTube: her Jessie Gender channel educates viewers about sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ+ (especially transgender) issues through a geek lens. In addition to the Jessie Gender channel, Earl is a member of the Gayety Gaymers Facebook Group, a vibrant community of over 60,000 LGBTQ+ people who come together over their love of gaming. She also creates content for Microsoft; has written for the tabletop role-playing game “Star Trek Adventures”; and contributed to the book, Navigating Trans*+ and Complex Gender Identities. She also is working on a sci-fi film called Identiteaze, which explores the power of gender and identity in a not-so-distant future that limits self-expression, which will be released on the Nebula streaming service. Gender would one day like to write or direct a TV series, and her Jessie Gender channel has bigger videos forthcoming, but no matter the project, her goal remains clear. “Through all my work, I hope to break the bounds of what others think is possible from people who are normally discounted or only seen as victims,” she says, “and show that truly, the beauty of humanity lies in finding delight in all our differences.”
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