Jeffrey Marsh


Jeffrey Marsh is an American writer, actor, artist, activist, and social media personality, best known for making inspirational viral videos on Vine. With over a quarter billion views online, Marsh has been described by CBS as "the internet's most beloved anti-bully."
Marsh is genderqueer and uses the singular they as their pronoun of choice and "Mx." as a gender-ambiguous honorific. Marsh has also identified at various times as a gay man, queer, and genderfluid.

''How to Be You''

In August 2016, Marsh released their first book, How to Be You, via Penguin Random House. The book is Marsh's own story of "growing up fabulous in a small farming town," and also serves as a workbook, inviting readers to participate in activities and answer questions about how they do the things they do.
NBC News describes the book as "Part memoir, part self-help, but also a workbook," and "'a love letter' to Marsh's 11-year-old self."
In conjunction with the release of How to Be You, they also became a regular contributing writer for TIME and Oprah.com.
Digital Journal wrote with regards to the publication of How to Be You that "Marsh became a social media star by being kind. And fabulous."

Early life and education

Marsh was born in York, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a farm nearby. Marsh has spoken often about having felt misunderstood during a self-identified rough childhood.
Marsh attended college at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and earned a BFA in Musical Theater, later moving to New York City to pursue a career in cabaret performance before going on to become a successful online personality and leader in the LGBTIQ community.

Career and non-profit involvement

Marsh posted their first Vine on October 22, 2013 – a simple 6-second vignette featuring the artist strumming a guitar. Their first Vine to become popular posted on July 4, 2014, featuring Marsh dressed as the Statue of Liberty. As of Sept. 2016, Marsh's Vine account has over 300 million loops.
Marsh's Vines usually feature an affirming or empowering statement delivered directly to the camera, or a song, joke, or dance. Their most popular Vine to date, with over 26 million loops, shows Marsh saying, "I can predict the future, and you're going to be ok." It is the Vine that Bustle claims "broke Tumblr with its greatness."
Mashable was the first mainstream media outlet to label Marsh the Internet's "anti-bully." The Huffington Post has said of Marsh: "In the technological age, the face of activism has evolved along with the way in which we communicate. Marsh is part of a generation of LGBTQ activists who, through social media, are changing minds and perceptions in parts of the world where people may not encounter a queer person in their day to day lives." Digg has described Marsh's overall message as, "Be yourself. Be happy with yourself. Be more comfortable with your differences — and embrace and enjoy them."
Marsh is the official social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent for the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, working closely with the organization on their #BeYourSelfie campaign. Marsh interviewed several celebrities, including Zachary Quinto and J.J. Abrams, on the red carpet at the 2015 GLSEN Respect Awards.
Marsh was the official Viner for the Logo TV network at the premier of Laverne Cox's "The T Word."
Marsh created a viral vine for GLAAD's #LoveWins campaign and helped create the #GotYourBack campaign with the media awareness group's staff. Marsh has also worked with The Trevor Project to prevent teen suicide, through their #HeartYourself hashtag campaign.
Marsh also created the #NoTimeToHate myself and #DontSayThatsSoGay campaigns on Vine to combat homophobia and bring awareness to genderqueer identity.
About Vine, Marsh told Digg, "I make Vines as a time machine, I'm making them for my 10-year-old self back in Pennsylvania on the farm. Which, as I've come to find out, there are a lot of 10-year-old 'me's' around. are a way to bring healing to everybody, including me."
Marsh is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, where they've also been interviewed.
After The New York Times tweeted a cartoon portraying presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as a gay lovers, Marsh said "There seems to be no greater insult than comparing someone to a queer. For an LGBTQ youth, it’s not background noise. When it comes up on their feed it feels like a direct personal attack, and to have a group that’s as well-established as the New York Times personally attacking you feels horrendous."

Recognition

One of Marsh's Vines was chosen #5 in BuzzFeed's list of the top Vines of 2014. It depicts Marsh saying, "Don't forget: you have as much of a right to be here as anyone else." Because of their viral popularity, they were awarded the title "Vine's Transgender Superheroine" by Digg.
Jeffrey has said on the response he received from members of the public "There's a wall of hate that comes at you, but also there's a wall of love that comes at you. And still to this day, several messages a day: 'I was feeling alone. I was feeling desperate. I was feeling suicidal. Your video helped me. I'm going to stick around...thank you for doing what you're doing. If you can be yourself, so can I.'"
Jeffrey is the first nonbinary model for the bridal industry.

Live performance and cabaret

While living in Philadelphia after college, Marsh was well-known as a local performance artist, hosting a weekly cabaret at L'Etage produced by Robert Drake of WXPN public radio. Marsh's show, An Evening With Jeffrey Marsh, was one of the founding performances of the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Theater Festival.
The Philadelphia City Paper described a performance at World Café Live where Marsh "proceeded to move from table to table, flinging people's silverware across the room, rearranging place settings," as "uproarious." "This is Marsh's appeal, crystallized," the review continued. "You could describe his act as a drag thing, a vaudeville thing, a performance art variety show thing, and any of those would be completely missing the point."
After moving to New York City in 2007, Marsh began performing as part of the downtown cabaret scene. Marsh appeared at popular venues including Joe's Pub and Don't Tell Mama. At Dixon Place, they starred in "Julian," a 2010 musical based on the life of Vaudeville performer Julian Eltinge. In 2012, Marsh was commissioned to create a performance art piece honoring Richard Simmons at the Museum of Art and Design.