Jacob Tobia, writer, producer, and LGBTQ+ activist
On Gender Assumptions
"As a male-bodied femme who has robust facial hair, a very visibly male body, and chest hair to boot, people never really ask me which gender I am. They take one look at my body, my height, my stature, my hair, and they automatically categorize me as a 'man in a dress' or a 'man wearing lipstick.'"
How Important Inclusivity Really Is
"Every time I see a commercial for traditional women's makeup, I'm almost always angry. I see no reason why — in this day and age — visibly gender-nonconforming people shouldn't be included in the cosmetics industry on a fundamental level. There is nothing 'contradictory' or 'controversial' about wearing lipstick with facial hair, or wearing a dress without visible breasts. I wear lipstick all the damn time, and it is almost always marketed toward women. Gender nonconforming people like me look f*cking cute in a bold, pink lip, and it's about time that the beauty biz started to recognize that! I'm tired of seeing the same old skinny, hairless models sporting all of the cute looks. I want more curves and rolls and body-ody-ody in beauty marketing. I want people who are hairy everywhere, like me and my friends. I want the beauty industry to take a leading, proactive role in redefining beauty norms and not just keep churning out more and more of the same sh*t that we're used to."
