Jacob Tobia to visit Wichita, KS

Jacob Tobia. Photo provided.

Wichita’s Watermark Books & Cafe, in partnership with GLSEN Kansas, will host Jacob Tobia, activist, producer, and author of the memoir SISSY: A Coming-of-Gender Story for an author talk and signing on Sunday, March 10 at 4:30 p.m.

The event will take place at Watermark Books & Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas. The event is free to attend; priority signing line tickets are available for $26 and include a copy of Sissy and may be purchased at the event.

Named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30, Tobia was the Social Media Producer for the Emmy Award-winning show Transparent and created, co-produced, and hosted Queer 2.0, a first-of-its-kind LGBTQ series on NBC News.

Tobia is currently a member of the Biden Foundation Advisory Council for Advancing LGBTQ Equality with bylines everywhere from the New York Times to TIME to Teen Vogue and has nearly 100K social media followers.

According to reports, Tobia has blazed a trail for gender nonconformity and contributed to the chorus of queer voices challenging normative notions of gender and sexuality, advocating for inclusivity and empathy, and helping others embrace and own their truths. 

“In a state where GLSEN's state level data in the National School Climate Survey reveals that fewer than one out of five LGBTQ students see themselves reflected in positive ways through curriculum at school, Jacob Tobia's visit to Wichita, KS will give many students a rare and powerful opportunity to see themselves reflected in a positive way,” said Liz Hamor, GLSEN Kansas Chapter Director. “We appreciate Watermark Books making this event possible and showing the community that representation matters.”

SISSY: A Coming-of-Gender Story is a nuanced, glitter-encrusted memoir examining the contemporary experience of gender nonconformity. Heart-wrenching, hilarious, eye-opening, and utterly unapologetic, Sissy marks the arrival of a major new literary talent.

From stories of their childhood in suburban North Carolina; to experimenting with high heels and their grandmother's costume jewelry; to their relationship with God and the Methodist Church; to strutting through the hallowed halls of Duke University and the portrait-laden parlors of the White House (in heels! Twice.), Sissy takes readers journey they won't soon forget.

At a moment when the national conversation about gender has never before been more nuanced or heated, Tobia’s "coming-of-gender" story aims to shatter society's long-held notions of what it means to be a "man" or a "woman," challenge us to expand how we think about gender, and inspire us all to recognize our own struggles with identity, no matter how messy or undefined.

“Watermark Books is committed to hosting authors who have a story to tell, and Jacob’s memoir Sissy will find an eager and receptive audience in our community,” Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books. “Our goal with each event we host is to put authors and readers together. Stories define us, and no matter who you are, stories offer validation, empathy for others, and help us understand differences.”

For more information, visit the Facebook event page by clicking this link.

GLSEN Kansas is a local chapter of a national nonprofit that works to ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, valued, and respected in K-12 schools. For more information, visit www.glsen.org.

The Gayly. 3/4/2019 @ 1:53 p.m. CST.