Tobia's grandparents were Syrians who immigrated to the United States in the 1950s and spoke Arabic, which Tobia says is "the language that I do not speak but wish I could."[4][5] Tobia was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, by a Methodist family. They graduated in 2010 from Raleigh Charter High School, serving as president of the Gay-Straight Alliance and being active in student government.[6][7] Tobia applied to Harvard University and was accepted, but chose to attend Duke University instead, where they graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Human Rights Advocacy.[8][9] While a student at Duke, Tobia served as the vice president of equity and outreach for Duke Student Government, was co-president of Blue Devils United, and was president of Duke Students for Gender Neutrality.[10]
In September 2013, Tobia raised over $10,000 for the Ali Forney Center running across the Brooklyn Bridge in five-inch heels as part of their Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) commitment to action. They were recently honored again for their larger impact on the LGBTQIA+ community by CGI U in 2018 at the University of Chicago.[6]
Tobia was featured in MTV's The T Word, where they were interviewed by Laverne Cox. In 2015, Tobia was profiled in the GLAAD Award-nominated episode of True Life: I'm Genderqueer by MTV.[13] In 2016 they were named in Out's 100.[14] Later in 2016, Tobia created, co-produced, and hosted Queer 2.0, an original LGBTQ series for NBC News.[15]
In 2018, Tobia became the face of an advertising campaign for the gender non-conforming makeup brand Fluide, promoting a line of lip colors named after queer spaces, such as gay bars.[18]
Sissyedit
In June 2017, Tobia announced the release of a memoir titled Sissy.[19] The book sold in a six-figure deal to Putnam Books.[2]Sissy was released in March 2019 and was a National Bestseller.[20] Tobia was featured as a guest on Trevor Noah's The Daily Show to promote the book. They discussed the term "gender chill," gendered violence, and the playful nature of non-binary genders.[21]Sissy was well-received by The New York Times Book Review, which compared Tobia to David Sedaris and Mindy Kaling.[22] They wrote, "[Tobia] combines incisive wit and undeniable intelligence to invite readers into their journey as a gender-nonconforming young person in North Carolina...If Tobia aspires to the ranks of comic memoirists like David Sedaris and Mindy Kaling, Sissy succeeds."
In November 2019, Showtime announced they are developing a half-hour show based on Tobia's memoir Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story. Tobia will serve as co-writer and co-executive producer for the adaptation alongside Michael Lannan, the co-creator of the HBO series, Looking.[23] The series will follow the life of Tobi Gibran, a non-binary student who moves from North Carolina to New York City.[24]
^"Jacob Tobia: 'Gender Is Simple for Nobody'". PAPER. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
^Tobia, Jacob (June 14, 2017). "Remember The Forces That Marginalize Queers Also Marginalize Muslims". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
^Martin, Michel (June 18, 2016). "Barbershop: Taking Stock Of Orlando With Members Of The LGBTQ Community". NPR. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^ abLee, Traci G. (December 18, 2012). "Supporting an LGBT youth center with high hopes–and high heels". MSNBC. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"Chartering Our Course" (PDF). Raleigh Charter High School. November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^ ab"Jacob Tobia". Point Foundation. 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^Tobia, Jacob (2019). Sissy. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. p. 170.
^ abTobia, Jacob (July 18, 2014). "Where I Belong | Duke Magazine". Duke Magazine. Duke University. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^Duke Today Staff (April 10, 2013). "Two Duke Students Selected As Truman Scholars". Duke University. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"Jacob Tobia". 2017-02-24. Archived from the original on 2017-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Rothkopf, Joanna (November 17, 2015). "A Conversation with Genderqueer Activist and Latest MTV True Life Subject Jacob Tobia". Jezebel. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^"Out100 2016". OUT Magazine. 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"Welcome to Queer 2.0!". NBC News. June 3, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
^Talusan, Meredith (June 22, 2017). "Why Can't My Famous Gender Nonconforming Friends Get Laid?". Vice. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"She-Ra welcomes its first non-binary character — get a first look at Jacob Tobia as Double Trouble". Entertainment Weekly. October 21, 2019.
^Barbour, Shannon (March 7, 2018). "Gender-Nonconforming Activist Jacob Tobia Lands Gorgeous New Beauty Campaign". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
^Biedenharn, Isabella (June 23, 2017). "Gender nonconforming writer Jacob Tobia announces memoir, Sissy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"Sissy by Jacob Tobia: 9780735218840 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
^Jacob Tobia - Promoting a "Gender-Chill" Exploration of Identity with "Sissy" | The Daily Show, retrieved 2019-11-17
^McBride, Sarah (2019-05-23). "Two L.G.B.T.Q. Memoirs Sow the Seeds of Progress (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
^"Showtime to develop series based on Jacob Tobia memoir 'Sissy'". NBC News. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
^Edwards, Sarah (2019-11-26). "Jacob Tobia's Memoir "Sissy" to Be Adapted by Showtime". INDY Week. Retrieved 2019-12-24.[permanent dead link]
^ abTobia, Jacob (November 16, 2015). "I'm Genderqueer — Please Stop Asking Me When I'm 'Really' Going To Transition". MTV. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
^"Transgender Lives: Your Stories - Jacob Tobia". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^Jacob Tobia. "I am neither Mr, Mrs or Ms but Mx | Jacob Tobia | Opinion". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^Tobia, Jacob (2016-05-12). "Gender Neutral Pronouns: How to Use the Right Pronouns - Motto". Motto.time.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^Tobia, Jacob (2016-04-01). "An Open Letter to North Carolina's Lawmakers from a Trans North Carolinian | Women's Health". Womenshealthmag.com. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"What Happens If You're A Trans Person Who Doesn't Feel "Trapped In The Wrong Body"". Buzzfeed.com. 2016-05-14. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"I Have Long Nails Because I'm Proud Of What They Mean". Buzzfeed.com. 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"The 1970s Feminist Who Warned Against Leaning In - BuzzFeed News". Buzzfeed.com. 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^Tobia, Jacob (2016-04-07). "An Affront against All Women". Newamerica.org. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Trans Fashion is Not (Necessarily) Trans Empowerment — Hooligan Mag". Hooliganmagazine.com. 2016-04-15. Archived from the original on 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^Williams, Casey (2014-01-25). "How Student Activists at Duke Transformed a $6 Billion Endowment". The Nation. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"LGBTQIA: A Beginner's Guide to the Great Alphabet Soup Of Queer Identity". Mic. 2013-03-02. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"To All the Married Gay Couples Out There: The Fight Doesn't End With DOMA's Ruling". Mic. 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Obama Morehouse Speech: Was the President Unintentionally Transphobic?". Mic. 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"The Power of Trans Vulnerability". The Huffington Post. 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Five Dos and Five Don'ts for College Seniors (From a Point Scholar Who's Been There)". The Huffington Post. 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Dear Mr. President: Students Ask Obama to Protect LGBT Employees". The Huffington Post. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Why You Should Be Optimistic After Amendment One: A North Carolinian's Perspective". The Huffington Post. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Why I'm Genderqueer, Professional and Unafraid". The Huffington Post. 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"The Orlando Shooting Was An Act Of Hate". MTV. 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"How To Talk To Your Parents About Being Genderqueer". MTV. 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
^"Sissy Diaries: The Harsh Realities of Dating for Gender-Nonconforming Femmes". Them. April 25, 2018.
^"The Daily Show with Trevor Noah". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-11-17.