Veronica Vera, born in Linden, New Jersey, USA, is a trailblazing American author, actress, and educator in human sexuality. Starting as a Wall Street trader, she entered adult entertainment, starring in films like Gerard Damiano's Consenting Adults, Times Square Comes Alive, Mondo New York, and Rites of Passion. In 1982, she posed for renowned photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. A pioneer advocate, Vera founded Club 90, the first support group for porn stars, and her 1983 testimony shaped the Meese Report on pornography. Her writing includes the bestselling Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls (1997), sequels like Cross-Dress for Success, and a monthly column in Adam magazine (1983-1995). In 1992, she launched Miss Vera's Finishing School in New York City, instructing over 5,000 in cross-dressing finesse. Holding a doctorate in human sexuality, she married artist Stuart Cottingham in 2012 and remains an influential figure in sexual liberation.