Joy Messinger

Hey there! 

I'm a reproductive justice advocate and sexual health educator working for adolescent sexual health in Illinois. My background is in public health and social work, and although my focus is in the nonprofit sector, I've worked in many other settings, including colleges, clinics, research institutes, and even a museum! Visit my online CV for a full history.

Most of my free time is devoted to activism within the local and national feminist, Asian American, and LGBTQ communities, with organizations committed to reproductive justice and intersectional social change. I'm studying to be a birth doula and belong to a local volunteer group that provides free and low-cost doula services.

I'm also a social media geek! I write a personal blog about adoption & its intersections; like to tweet about books, politics, sexual health, and college basketball; and recently created "Sh*t Everyone Says to Asian Girls" (YouTube) and "Hey Girl, It's Rachel Maddow" (Tumblr).

I was born in Seoul, South Korea, grew up in Upstate New York, and lived in Central North Carolina before moving to Chicago, where I currently live, work, and enjoy short but beautiful summers.