Jacob Tobia
LGBTQ+ rights activist, actor, and writer
Tourmaline
Award-winning artist, filmmaker, author of Marsha
Photo credit: Texas Isaiah
Tourmaline is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and cultural force whose visionary work illuminates Black, queer, and trans histories. A TIME 100 honoree, her artwork is part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate, and MoMa. With a bold voice rooted in joy, resistance, and truth-telling, Tourmaline invites global audiences to imagine a more expansive future. Her forthcoming book, Marsha, is a deeply personal and poetic tribute to legendary LGBTQAI+ activist Marsha P. Johnson.
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About Tourmaline
Tourmaline is a Guggenheim Fellow and TIME 100 honoree whose groundbreaking work bridges high art and pop culture, and spans various disciplines, including visual art, film, and community organizing. Her films and artwork, which focus on Black, queer, and trans histories, are part of the permanent collections at institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Tate. Tourmaline’s work has also debuted at the MTV Video Music Awards and in major commercial campaigns, including Unilever-backed films spotlighting LGBTQAI+ rural communities, featured in People magazine.
As a keynote speaker, Tourmaline seamlessly blends storytelling, activism, and art, making her a powerful voice in contemporary culture. Her engaging talks and in-conversation formats focus on topics such as pop culture as a tool for resistance and transformation, revisiting history to unlock new paths for the future, and the role of art in activism.
Her book, Marsha, (on sale in May 2025) is the first definitive biography of Marsha P. Johnson, a pivotal figure in LGBTQAI+ history. The book vividly portrays Marsha’s life, from her childhood in the 1950s to her activism during the Stonewall Riots, and the AIDS crisis. Through extensive research, Tourmaline brings Marsha’s story to life, showcasing her as an activist, artist, and mentor. The biography highlights her influence on the LGBTQAI+ movement and her enduring legacy as a fashion icon and muse. Marsha inspires readers to embrace their true selves and honors Marsha’s vibrant, revolutionary spirit.
Tourmaline has been deeply involved in advocacy and grassroots organizing, particularly within trans justice and prison abolition movements. Prior to fully transitioning into her creative career, she led campaigns for economic and gender justice at organizations like the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and Barnard College’s Center for Research on Women, where she served as an activist-in-residence.
An award-winning filmmaker, Tourmaline is known for Happy Birthday, Marsha! and Salacia—celebrated works that fuse archival storytelling with speculative futurism. Her creative practice spans writing, filmmaking, and visual art, all rooted in deep imagination and a commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice.
Tourmaline’s honors include the Baloise Art Prize, a Visionary Award from the Stonewall Community Foundation, and many others. Featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Artforum, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and TIME, Tourmaline’s voice invites audiences to reimagine history, embrace transformation, and center joy in the fight for liberation.
Contact us for more information about booking Tourmaline for your next event.
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Speaking Topics
The Future Is a Remix: How Pop Culture Shapes Our Collective Imagination
From Star Wars to Beyoncé, pop culture isn’t just entertainment—it’s a blueprint for what we believe is possible. This talk dives into how movies, music, fashion, and internet culture influence the way we see ourselves and each other, shaping everything from identity to social movements. By breaking down the stories that define our time, Tourmaline explores how pop culture can be a tool for both resistance and transformation—and how we can remix it to build the future we want.
Freedom Dreaming: Reimagining History for a Liberated Future
History isn’t just what happened—it’s what’s possible. In this talk, Tourmaline explores how storytelling, archival research, and creativity can help us reclaim the past and imagine expansive futures. By looking at the ways people across time have resisted, celebrated, and built new worlds, Tourmaline dives into how revisiting history can open up new paths for pleasure, freedom, and joy.
Art as Activism: Film, Fashion, and the Politics of Representation
Art is more than expression—it’s power. This talk dives into how creative work can challenge dominant narratives and reshape culture, from film to fashion to digital media. Through a mix of personal storytelling and cultural history, Tourmaline looks at how artists and storytellers have built new ways of seeing, feeling, and imagining—and how we can do the same today.
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Praise for Tourmaline
Praise for Marsha
Illuminating… a poignant portrait of a figure whose “greater sense of freedom” still inspires.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)The depth of Tourmaline’s storytelling is historic, an enduring and urgent reminder from Marsha P. Johnson that history is not inevitable, it is made.
— Meena Harris, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Ambitious GirlThis long-overdue biography of Marsha P. Johnson is a revelation! With meticulous research and a tender touch, Tourmaline brings this groundbreaking activist to life, revealing her brilliance, her humor, and her unwavering dedication to freedom and our collective humanity. We learn not only of Marsha’s pivotal role in the Stonewall Uprising, but also of the depth of her love for her chosen family and community, her fierce advocacy for Black trans lives, and the enduring power of her artistic spirit. This literary tribute, adorned in garlands and glitter, is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the true cost and the enduring legacy of an LGBTQIA+ icon’s fight for liberation.”
— Janet Mock, author of the New York Times bestseller Redefining Realness -
Books by Tourmaline
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- 212 572-2013
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Featured Title
Marsha
This is a book for our times, full of inspiration, community, truth and—at its core—radical love.”
—Lena Dunham, actor, director, producer, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Not That Kind of Girl
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