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Amy Schneider, In Her Own Words The ‘Jeopardy!’ Amy Schneider champ on fame, activism and book bans BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI PHOTO: SEAN BLACK
has made
at least one thing clear: she is the person you want on your trivia team. The Ohio native ruled the “Jeopardy!” stage this year like a queen in her castle — the only question she couldn’t seem to answer was whether her winning streak would ever end. Viewers, who she won over with every win (an incredible 40 by the end), sure hoped it wouldn’t. What we, or she for
ISSUE 354 |
December, 2023
that matter, couldn’t guess is just how big her win would be. It was history-making big, as she became the most successful woman ever to compete on the ultimate quiz competition show. Schneider left “Jeopardy!” $1.3 million richer, and she left the world at large with something even more valuable — an invitation, for all of the families watching, to understand her life as a trans person. “So when did I know I was trans? Always. Never. In 1986, or 1993, or 1996, or 2011, or 2016, or 2017, or any and all years in between,” she writes in her debut memoir, “In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life.” “I’ve come to realize that I don’t much care when I knew I was trans, or even if I know it now. All I care about is that you know. And now you do.” In the book, Schneider, 44, reflects on becoming a nationally recognized and beloved trans celebrity, but these turning points are just part of her overall story. She shares other aspects of her life with unflinching candor and inviting repartee in her multifaceted memoir, which is deliberately less wholesome than her “Jeopardy!” image. By gaining a richer understanding of her life, you can’t help but become a fan of the person she is, not just the awe-inspiring quiz-show contestant she was. Now that Schneider has the world’s attention, she’s using her platform to open up about the intimate parts of what a trans life can look like. It may be eye-opening for some outside the queer community and, even for those within it, surprising and affirming: her newfound fame (and zealousness for the free touchscreen toaster fame afforded her), having ADD, being pro-polyamory (not so popular in the Midwest, she admits), her touching experience with a prostitute and how doing theater was critical in helping her understand who she is. I spoke with Schneider at the end of September, the same week her book hit shelves. Congratulations on the book. What is going through your mind right now as you promote it? Oh, I mean, it’s
