community
THE 2018 JQ AWARDS GARDEN BRUNCH
by tony reverditto
The JQ Awards Garden Brunch, is an annual signature event honoring the work of prestigious LGBTQ+ and allies of the Jewish Community in Southern California who have inspired, forged new paths, and created the highest visibility. The 2018 honorees represent the best of the LGBTQ+ and ally Jewish community. They include:Lynn Bider who is receiving the Community Leadership Award,Maria Shtabskaya, the Inspiration Award andJacob Hofheimer who will be accepting the Trailblazer Award. Before Jacob Hofheimer enrolled in the small
Santa Monica prep school over three years ago, he was Emma, a girl whose feelings of being trapped in a hostile body led to depression and a suicide at- tempt. When he arrived at New Roads in the middle of his freshman year, he, with family support and classmate awareness, changed his first name, began living life as a boy and decided the natural next step would be on a playing field.
The Rage Monthly delved into the compelling transition made by Jacob and how he successfully came out on the other side. How did you first get involved with JQ International? I actually learned about JQ through my mom, Lisa.
jacob hofheimer
She had heard Asher Gellis speak at a Jewish Federa- tion event and her friend, Julie Platt, told her more about the organization. After the L.A. Times article came out about me, they reached out and invited us to the 2016 Garden Awards Brunch. After that, I started participating in the JQSA program for teens. Being a transgender teen definitely comes with its struggles, what has been your biggest challenge? I think the biggest struggle with being a trans- gender teen—was the fact that I was a teen—I was a minor when I came out. For trans teens it can be really difficult because no matter how certain you are that you are trans, in order to medically transi- tion, your parents have to sign off. For me, I wanted to start medically transitioning immediately, but many parents aren’t comfortable with that. That’s not to say that my parents haven’t been supportive. In fact, they are probably my biggest supporters and they did eventually let me begin medically transitioning at the beginning of my senior year of high school, but it took some time.
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RAGE monthly | APRIL 2018
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