Meet Jey C. McCreight, PhD

Founder, Beyond X&Y

(they/he)

Dr. Jey is an expert on human genomics and the evolution of sex, with nearly two decades of experience as a science communicator. After finishing their PhD, they slowly realized their scientific interests stemmed from a desire to learn more about their own gender identity.

Now living in Chicago as a queer trans man, Jey was born and raised just across the border in Northwest Indiana. As a confused queer kid in the 90s, they learned to hide their true self out of a fear of losing their family, friends, and career dreams. There were no openly gay role models in their life, and the only media representation of trans people was as murder victims or jokes. When trying to start a Gay-Straight Alliance with friends at their high school, the administration stopped the group, claiming they’d have to allow Nazi clubs too.

Jey used to say it was another time back then…but unfortunately, those times of bigotry and fear have returned.

That’s why Jey has been so vocal about trans rights since coming out in 2020. A key part in finally accepting their transness was simply meeting other trans people, and seeing their joy in living their truth. Jey felt such a duty to share their personal story and scientific expertise, that they quit their “safe” tech job to found Beyond X&Y.

Their main goals are to fight unscientific propaganda around “biological sex,” to advocate for how research and medicine can be more trans inclusive, and most importantly, to humanize trans people. They want trans kids to know they still have a future, and that trans adults are fighting for them.

TRANS PEOPLE ARE SCIENTISTS.

TRANS PEOPLE ARE ARTISTS.

TRANS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE.

Contact Jey
Contact Jey

Resume / LinkedIn / Bluesky

Science COMMUNICATION

Their communication career started in undergrad when they launched the blog “Blag Hag” to discuss the intersection of skepticism and feminism. Jey has since given 100+ talks internationally to a wide range of audiences, from the Savage Lovecast and MENSA, to the NASEM Genomics Roundtable. For the last 9 years, they worked as a senior research marketer at leading precision health companies including 23andMe, Verily, and Tempus AI. While at 23andMe, they founded their LGBTQ+ employee resource group and spearheaded major trans-inclusivity updates across the company's product, research program, and workplace culture.

LGBTQ+ ACtivism

Jey is also a respected leader within their local LGBTQ+ community in Chicago. Last October, they co-founded the Transmasc Society of Chicago, a social club and support group that already hosts some of the most popular trans-focused events in the city. They are also a volunteer and top fundraiser for Brave Space Alliance, a trans- and black-led non-profit supporting trans Chicagoans. This builds upon a lifelong commitment to progressive activism, from founding the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University, serving on the board of the national Secular Student Alliance, and in grad school serving as President of Women in Genome Sciences (and yes, they appreciate the irony).

LEARN MORE ABOUT JEY: