Who Is Roxane Gay? Age, Biography and Wiki
Roxane Gay was born on October 15, 1974, making her 50 years old in 2025. An illustrious American writer, Gay is celebrated for her powerful essays, novels, and feminism advocacy. She gained significant recognition with her bestselling books such as "Bad Feminist," "Hunger," and "Untamed." Her work often explores themes of race, gender, and body image, impacting audiences across the globe. Gay is an influential voice in modern literature and a noted cultural commentator.
| Occupation | Journalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 15, 1974 |
| Age | 50 Years |
| Birth Place | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Roxane Gay's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Roxane Gay maintains a public persona that reflects her commitment to body positivity and self-acceptance. While her exact height is not widely publicized, she is often described as having an assertive presence. As of 2025, Gay is known to advocate for health and well-being over societal beauty standards, thus prioritizing comfort with her body over specific measurements.
She also wrote frankly about how she became morbidly obese and how society views her. She wrote that she became obese when she was in high school and is still to this day, despite decades of trying to lose weight. She explores a society and culture which shames her for her weight.
She cites specifically the struggles she endures being obese such as not being able to find clothes that fit her and the inability to sit in certain chairs. She described a publishing event in which she sat and broke a chair and the public humiliation she felt.
She stated in an interview with Vice, that she has often been misgendered due to her weight. She added, "Being fat means you aren’t desirable. So as a woman, you are basically degendered. People also often read fat bodies as male."
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Roxane Gay is believed to be in a private relationship, though she has been discrete about her dating life. In the past, Gay has expressed views on love and relationships, emphasizing the importance of respect and understanding. Her past marriage, while marked by significant personal evolution, taught her valuable life lessons that often seep into her writing. As is consistent with her advocacy for privacy, she has not publicly disclosed the identities of her romantic partners.
Her mother was a homemaker and her father is owner of GDG Béton et Construction, a Haitian concrete company. She is a cousin of Harvard University professor Claudine Gay. Gay was raised Catholic and spent her summers visiting family in Haiti. She attended high school at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.
Gay began writing essays as a teenager, with much of her early work being influenced by her experience with childhood sexual violence. Her parents were relatively wealthy, supporting her through college and paying her rent until she was 30.
Net Worth and Salary
Roxane Gay's net worth in 2025 is estimated to be around $2 million. This income primarily comes from her successful writing career, public speaking engagements, and contributions to various publications. With a rich portfolio that includes essays, books, and articles, Gay's financial achievements reflect her standing as a leading voice in the literary scene.
After completing her Ph.D., Gay began her academic teaching career in 2010 at Eastern Illinois University, where she was assistant professor of English. While at EIU, she was a contributing editor for Bluestem magazine, and she also founded Tiny Hardcore Press. Gay worked at Eastern Illinois University until the end of the 2013–14 academic year.
She was an associate professor of creative writing in the Master of Fine Arts program at Purdue University from August 2014 until 2018. Gay announced her departure from Purdue in October 2018, voicing concerns about the fairness of her compensation and noting Purdue had failed to address the issue.
For the spring of 2019 Gay was a visiting professor at Yale University. In 2022, she joined Rutgers University, becoming the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies.
Career, Business and Investments
Roxane Gay's career continues to thrive in 2025. She has successfully published multiple works, including essays and fiction that resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. In addition to her literary endeavors, Gay is also an accomplished speaker and educator, engaging in workshops and lectures across the country.
Moreover, Gay has ventured into other mediums, including television, often advocating for social issues through various platforms. There are speculations about upcoming projects, including collaborations that aim to elevate underrepresented voices in literature and media.
Gay is a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, founder of Tiny Hardcore Press, essays editor for The Rumpus, and the editor for Gay Mag, which was founded in partnership with Medium.
Social Network
Roxane Gay is an active presence on social media. Her platforms, particularly Twitter and Instagram, are utilized to share insights on societal issues, promote her work, and engage with fans. Gay's candidness about her experiences and beliefs endears her to a large follower base, making her a significant figure in the online discourse surrounding feminism and culture.
Roxane Gay (born October 15, 1974) is an American writer, professor, editor, and social commentator. Gay is the author of The New York Times best-selling essay collection Bad Feminist (2014), as well as the short story collection Ayiti (2011), the novel An Untamed State (2014), the short story collection Difficult Women (2017), and the memoir Hunger (2017).
Education
Roxane Gay is a well-educated individual, holding a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania. Her academic background has played a crucial role in shaping her writing style and critical perspective, allowing her to analyze and communicate complex social issues effectively.
Gay is the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University. She was an assistant professor at Eastern Illinois University for four years before joining Purdue University as an associate professor of English, where she was tenured. In 2018, she left Purdue to become a visiting professor at Yale University. She joined Rutgers in 2022.
