About Rebekah

A long blonde-haired smiling woman looks at the camera wearing a black top.

Rebekah Bruesehoff is a 19-year-old author and award-winning advocate committed to advancing equity through policy, storytelling, and public leadership. She is passionate about doing so while centering joy and authenticity. She first gained national attention as one of the youngest openly transgender advocates in the United States, using her voice to correct misinformation and expand understanding in businesses, schools, faith communities, and on the athletic field.

In 2017, Rebekah went viral as the little girl in a pink coat holding a sign that said “I’m the scary transgender person the media warned you about.” With her cute pink pigtails, Rebekah made a bold statement that transgender people aren’t scary at all. Suddenly she had an international platform, and she knew she needed to use it.

For nearly a decade, Rebekah has been a nationally recognized advocate for transgender equality. She has collaborated with state and federal policymakers to advance pro-equality legislation, testified before legislative bodies, and served as a resource to lawmakers and advocacy organizations. Through strategic storytelling and her embodied joy, she has helped shape public understanding of transgender youth in moments of intense national debate.

Her advocacy has been featured in national and international media, and she has spoken to audiences ranging from Fortune 500 companies to schools, faith communities, and major conferences. Across platforms, she brings an accessible, research-informed voice, meeting people where they are in order to advance understanding and create lasting change. She is the co-author of A Kids Book About Being Inclusive (DK Publishing, 2024 revised edition) and has contributed to books including Raising Kids beyond the Binary and Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians.

She has been honored by Ms. Foundation, Points of Light, GLAAD, The Advocate, and NYC Pride, among others. She was recognized as a finalist for TimeMagazine’s Kid of the Year in 2020. Marvel made her into a superhero as the star of her very own Marvel comic book, Mighty Rebekah, in combination with a groundbreaking episode about her in Disney+ series Marvel’s Hero Project.

Rebekah graduated high school as Valedictorian and is now studying government, international relations, and human-centered design at a prestigious research university in New Hampshire. Her academic work is fueled by her interests in governance, civil rights, and designing systems that advance equity. She is motivated not only by policy outcomes but by the human beings at the center of those outcomes. She aspires to build a career at the intersection of law, policy, and advocacy.

Whether in the classroom, in legislative spaces, or on stage, Rebekah is dedicated to building a more inclusive world through policy, visibility, and education.

What People Are Saying

  • The 19th

    “Hearing from those who don’t support transgender people, or from other trans people who believe that Christians hate LGBTQ+ people, used to make Rebekah feel like she needed to hide parts of herself, parts of her faith, she said. But she’s seen what happens when she speaks up about who she is and what she believes, people tell her that she’s made them feel less alone.”

  • The TODAY Show

    “Bruesehoff and her family have learned over the years how to block out the noise and set boundaries due to their public platform. She said that she rarely responds to comments unless there’s a “teaching moment” happening. ”

  • INTO's 25 under 25

    “Life can be hard as a trans person in the United States when so many bills seek to take away your rights. Fighting back against all of that can be exhausting when you just want to be able to exist, and it can feel hopeless or like you can’t make real change yourself. If Rebekah Bruesehoff was confronted by those feelings, she didn’t let it show, and has been a powerful and important voice advocating for trans rights since the age of 10.”

  • GLAAD 20 under 20

    “She demonstrates what can be accomplished when trans people are allowed to live as their authentic selves. And indeed, Bruesehoff has set a positive example and continuously breaks down the barriers that society imposes on trans youth.”