Jo Ivester is an author and speaker, focusing on LGBTQ & civil rights advocacy. Her books include the award-winning memoirs The Outskirts of Hope (2015) and Never a Girl, Always a Boy (2020). She addresses a wide range of audiences, from small book clubs to entire schools, using her personal stories as a means to make people more comfortable with those who are different from them with regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identification.