Janet Mock

Janet Mock (born March 10, 1983) is an American writer, TV host, transgender rights activist, author of the New York Times bestseller Redefining Realness, contributing editor for Marie Claire, and former staff editor of People magazine's website. 2Early life and education Janet Mock was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the middle of five children, and spent most of her youth in her native Hawaii, and a portion in Oakland, California and Dallas. Her father is African American and her mother is native Hawaiian. She began her transition as a freshman in high school, and funded her medical transition by earning money as a sex worker in her teens. She also played volleyball in high school, a sport she had bonded over with her childhood friend Wendi, who helped Janet express her femininity. She chose her name Janet after Janet Jackson. She underwent sex reassignment surgery in Thailand at age 18 in the middle of her first year in college. She was the first person in her family to go to college. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Master of Arts in Journalism from New York University in 2006. 2Career After graduating from New York University with a master's degree in journalism, Mock started her career at People magazine, where she was a staff editor for more than five year