About
CJ DeBarra (they/them) is a LGBT+, non-binary, neurodivergent author, journalist and queer historian.
Involved in activism from a young age (primarily around LGBT+, anti-war, and workers’ rights), they have a background in advocacy journalism, with national bylines including such publications as The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stylist, Insider, Euro News, The Dubliner, EQuality Magazine, Undressing Disability and many more. In addition, CJ is currently the history editor of Nottingham-based cultural magazine LeftLion. For the past four years, CJ has worked with national charity Enhance the UK, providing talks, workshops and training on disability inclusion. Within the media, they use their platform to raise awareness about the often-overlooked challenges faced by the ADHD community, of which CJ is a member, and especially by those who are often underdiagnosed: women, transgender, or non-binary individuals. Their debut book, NeuroQueer: A Neurodivergent Guide to Love, Sex, and Everything in Between (Global Words Press, 2023), explores the raw realities of relationships, love, and sexuality as a non-binary, neurodivergent individual by combining candid personal reflection with research to advocate for better healthcare, inclusion, and understanding. In 2022, CJ—originally from West Cork, Ireland but now based in Nottinghamshire, England—launched the Notts Queer History Archive: an oral history project that aims to record the lives of LGBT+ people throughout Nottinghamshire. The project will produce three books with the first set to be released in February 2025 through Five Leaves Publishing. They also advocate for radical archiving to make sure more LGBT+ people get involved in preserving their history. CJ is currently writing a book on avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), drawing upon their partner’s experiences of living with the condition.
Involved in activism from a young age (primarily around LGBT+, anti-war, and workers’ rights), they have a background in advocacy journalism, with national bylines including such publications as The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stylist, Insider, Euro News, The Dubliner, EQuality Magazine, Undressing Disability and many more. In addition, CJ is currently the history editor of Nottingham-based cultural magazine LeftLion. For the past four years, CJ has worked with national charity Enhance the UK, providing talks, workshops and training on disability inclusion. Within the media, they use their platform to raise awareness about the often-overlooked challenges faced by the ADHD community, of which CJ is a member, and especially by those who are often underdiagnosed: women, transgender, or non-binary individuals. Their debut book, NeuroQueer: A Neurodivergent Guide to Love, Sex, and Everything in Between (Global Words Press, 2023), explores the raw realities of relationships, love, and sexuality as a non-binary, neurodivergent individual by combining candid personal reflection with research to advocate for better healthcare, inclusion, and understanding. In 2022, CJ—originally from West Cork, Ireland but now based in Nottinghamshire, England—launched the Notts Queer History Archive: an oral history project that aims to record the lives of LGBT+ people throughout Nottinghamshire. The project will produce three books with the first set to be released in February 2025 through Five Leaves Publishing. They also advocate for radical archiving to make sure more LGBT+ people get involved in preserving their history. CJ is currently writing a book on avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), drawing upon their partner’s experiences of living with the condition.
Further Information: