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Matt Kailey

1955 – 2014

American writer and activist

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About Matt Kailey

Lived 1955 – 2014 (aged 59). Matt Kailey was an American writer, activist and social worker.

Matthew Scott "Matt" Kailey (March 17, 1955 – May 18, 2014) was a trans male author, educator, and transgender activist.

Biography Kailey was born in 1955 in Omaha, Nebraska to Shirley and George "Rod" Kailey. He earned a BA in Sociology and Psychology at Iowa State University and an MA in Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He later moved to Colorado and began a career as a social caseworker.

Kailey began his female-to-male transition at the age of 42, transitioning from a straight woman to a gay trans man. After leaving social work, he became a writer for Out Front Colorado, one of the country's oldest LGBT publications. In 2007 he became its managing editor, making Kailey the highest-ranking trans journalist of an LGBT publication.

Kailey wrote a guidebook, My Child is Transgender: 10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children. He wrote an award-winning blog, Tranifesto, spoke at numerous conferences, and offered workplace training on transgender issues. He also taught courses in psychology, human sexuality, and transgender studies at Red Rocks Community College and Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Kailey died in his sleep of heart failure on May 18, 2014.

Books Our Day Will Come, 2004, iUniverse, Inc., ; Just Add Hormones: An Insider's Guide to the Transsexual Experience, 2005, Beacon Press, Focus on the Fabulous: Colorado GLBT Voices (editor), 2007, Johnson Books, Teeny Weenies and Other Short Subjects, 2012, Outskirts Press, My Child is Transgender: 10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children, 2012, Tranifesto Publishing

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Iowa State University, University of Missouri–Kansas City, University of Missouri
Employers
Out Front Colorado, Red Rocks Community College, Metropolitan State University of Denver

People in Matt Kailey's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Matt Kailey's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Matt Kailey?

American writer and activist

When was Matt Kailey born?

Matt Kailey was born on 17 March 1955 in Omaha.

When did Matt Kailey die?

Matt Kailey died on 18 May 2014 in Denver.

What was Matt Kailey's occupation?

Matt Kailey was a writer, activist and social worker.

What nationality was Matt Kailey?

Matt Kailey was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Matt Kailey

· Wikidata: Q17287343

· DBpedia: Matt Kailey

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Matt Kailey. https://biography.guide/matt-kailey/

MLA: "Matt Kailey." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/matt-kailey/.

Chicago: "Matt Kailey." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/matt-kailey/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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