Veronica Vera Aka Miss Vera

When you are the first to create something, people always want to know how you came up with the idea. My early ambitions never included founding the world's first crossdressing and transgender academy. Twenty-five years ago, that was a very closeted activity. But I always wanted to write, so I did. I explored my own sexuality and everyone else's as a journalist, porn star and sex worker's rights activist, throughout the 1980's. I had amazing experiences, including testifying for freedom of expression on Capitol Hill. In the early 90's I began work on a memoir and at the same time began helping men who crossdressed to find the woman inside.  What began as a sideline, to finance a memoir, turned the page on a whole new chapter. My own explorations had taught me we all have a right to be who we are as sexual human beings, as long as we respect the rights of others. I created a school with real lessons and a faculty of experts to help me. In 1993 I threw a party for Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, and invited the press. The result was a full page story in New York Magazine that brought the media flocking to our door. Adult students from across the country and around the world have enrolled for on campus lessons with us. An important aspect of my academy is to bring the students out into the world and help them understand and share this part of themselves with others, especially their partners. More and more couple are finding their way here. Another topic of importance to me is to help people understand that issues of sexuality and gender that seem to separate one segment of society from another, actually unite us in our differences. This is the message of my third book, Miss Vera's Cross Gender Fun dor All (Greenery, 2016). Thousands have also read my 2 previous books: Miss Vera’s Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls (Doubleday 1997), Miss Vera’s Cross Dress for Success (Villard, 2002).  In 2014, I received a Doctorate in Human Sexuality in recognition of my life’s work. I continue to work with individuals and couples, to write and work on my memoir.