Jeffrey Jay Performs Comedy Show in Thomson Hall

Photo by Jenna Kauffman

Photo by Jenna Kauffman

On Mon., April 4, comedian Jeffrey Jay put on a comedy show in Alumnae Chapel in Thomson Hall to start off Genderversity Week. Jay did not disappoint.

From the get-go, Jay was very blunt about hearing every insult there was about being transgender. For the first part of the show, he did traditional comedy and for the second part, he encouraged audience interaction and questions about anything they wanted to know about his life.

Jay previously performed on networks such as “The CW” and was a finalist in “The 2013 Funniest Comic” in Texas. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his partner and daughter.

Being subtle was definitely not on his agenda. Many of the audience members were hesitant to speak up at first, but after Jay shared stories, the crowd began to interact. Even though Jay prompted the audience to ask literally anything, the questions stuck to topics such as, “What was it like switching hormones?” and “How do you personally identify?” Jay made sure to point out which questions were appropriate to typically ask someone who is transgender, and which questions were not. Even though no one asked extremely personal questions, he still decided to bring some up.

Jay mentioned that he is often asked how he has sex, to which he wittily responded, “I’m a man on the streets and a woman in the sheets.” He also discussed how he is often asked if he has undergone any surgeries, which he has not. Jay feels comfortable in the skin he is in.

Jay discussed acceptance and how he grew up in a very conservative family. Although there seemed to be some hesitance, he said his family grew accepting of the way in which he wanted to live. A question about religion was brought up, to which Jay expressed that he thinks that God would want him to make a difference and be who he truly is.

After the show, Jay met with attendees afterwards for pictures, and to also show pictures of what he looked like before his transition. He expressed caution when asking other transgender individuals, but when it comes to showing his past, he does so for the educational experience as well as to further express how proud he is of how far he has come.

For more information on Jeffrey Jay, visit his website at or find him on social media at @heyjeffreyjay.

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