Jennifer Sein / “Aunt Jenny” and transgender people

Jennifer Sein was an American information technologist and activist who offered online resources for trans and gender diverse youth. Sein, known online as “Aunt Jenny,” “JenStar,” and “AntiJen,” created and maintained antijen.org, one of the most important online resources for trans and gender diverse youth starting in the late 20th century.

Background

Jennifer Lynn “Jenny” Sein was born on September 17, 1957 to Ruth H. (Fitzpatrick) Sein and Martin Sein, Sr.

After graduating from high school in Philadelphia, Sein worked for 35 years in IT at organizations including GSI Commerce and eBay Enterprise.

Sein died on May 7, 2020 in Hereford, Pennsylvania.

Transgender resources

Sein was affiliated with GenderWeb by Julie Case and had an account on the server. The AntiJen website began in the 1990s. Sein stated on the front page: “It is a place where basically, the unloved of this world, can come and get love and support from their peers, and hopefully soon their friends.” It continued:

These words were said to one of my young ladies, by her Grandmother. This grandmother just recently died.
In wishing her love, please read these words, and the truth in them.

No matter what anyone else thinks, you are your own person. They can, and probably will, try to force you into their own image they will push down on you with all their considerable power.
The stronger you are, the less you will buckle.
And if you fall, you can still get stronger and pull yourself back up.

You are yourself, and be damned those that say you aren’t.

Be yourself, and be the best you can be.

Starting in 1999, Sein produced a newsletter called The AntiJen Pages: A Young Transsexual Newsletter.

Laura (a pseudonym) was one of many young people helped by Sein. In 2026, Laura contacted this site to share memories of Sein:

“Aunt Jenny showed me a great amount of support at a time in my life where I needed to feel like that piece of me belonged somewhere. She set me up with a mentor who I had weekly lunches with for a couple of semesters while I was in college. That mentor was there with me when I met Aunt Jenny in person in Philly. I remember how warm and supportive that visit was. I wish it could have lasted much longer.”

References

Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home (May 2020). Jennifer Sein, September 17, 1957 — May 7, 2020. https://www.mannslonakerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/jennifer-sein

Resources

AntiJen (antijen.org) [archive]

• alternate url: antijen.com [archive]

Aunty Jen (auntyjen.com) [archive]

Genderweb (genderweb.org) [archive]

• genderweb.org/~jenstar [archive]
• [email protected]