Veronica Vera

{{short description|American actress, writer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Veronica Vera

| image =

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| birth_date =

| birth_place = United States

| death_date =

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| occupation = Writer, actress

| spouse = {{marriage|Stuart Cottingham|2012|2013|end=his death}}{{cite web|url=http://observer.com/2012/06/the-golden-girls-of-porn/ |work=New York Observer|title=The Golden Girls|author=Kramer Bussel, Rachel|date=June 14, 2012}}

| website = {{URL|veronicaverawrites.com}}

}}

Veronica Vera is an American human sexuality writer and actress,{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/73300/Veronica-Vera/filmography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221090258/https://movies.nytimes.com/person/73300/Veronica-Vera/filmography|archive-date=February 21, 2014|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|date=2014|title=Veronica Vera Filmography|url-status=dead}} as well as a doctor of human sexuality.{{cite web |last1=Vera |first1=Veronica |title=About Veronica Vera |url=https://veronicaverawrites.com/about-veronica-vera/ |website=Veronica Vera Writes|date=February 15, 2023 }} She is best known for the films Times Square Comes Alive, Gerard Damiano's Consenting Adults, Mondo New York, and Rites of Passion, as well as her work with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe from 1982.{{cite web|publisher=Christie's |title=Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989)|url=http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/photographs/robert-mapplethorpe-marty-and-veronica-1982-5304143-details.aspx}}

Vera is a former Wall Street trader{{cite web |url=http://newyork.timeout.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-new-york/16908/pump-it-up |title=Pump it up |date=July 27, 2007 |author=Kramer Bussel, Rachel |work=Time Out New York |access-date=January 7, 2011}} and is also known for running the cross-dressing school Miss Vera's Finishing School For Boys Who Want to be Girls,{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/11/16/2008-11-16_mary_veronicas_miss_veras_school_for_boy.html |title=Mary Veronica's Miss Vera's School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls is in session |author=Richardson, Clem |date=November 16, 2008 |work=New York Daily News |access-date=January 7, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-23-vw-4704-story.html|title=At Miss Vera's, the Mirror Reveals a Changed Man|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 23, 1993 |access-date=January 7, 2011}} on which she wrote a book, Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, published by Doubleday in 1997.{{cite web |work=The New York Times |title=Book Notes |author=Tabor, Mary B. W. |date=October 11, 1995 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/11/books/book-notes-055220.html}}{{cite web |title=Transform Yourself With Veronica Vera |author=SFGN Staff|date=February 6, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208001042/https://southfloridagaynews.com/Lifestyle/veronica-vera-momafl.html|archivedate=December 8, 2021|url=http://southfloridagaynews.com/articles/veronica-vera-momafl/100273 |work=South Florida Gay News}}

Vera has published two follow-up books: Miss Vera's Cross-Dress For Success and Miss Vera's Cross Gender Fun For All.{{cite web |last1=Vera |first1=Veronica |title=Miss Vera's Cross-Dress for Success |url=https://www.missvera.com/book2.html |website=Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to be Girls}}{{cite web |last1=Vera |first1=Veronica |title=Miss Vera's Cross Gender Fun For All |url=https://www.missvera.com/book3.html |website=Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to be Girls}} She also wrote a monthly article in Adam magazine called "Veronica Vera's New York" that ran from 1983-1995.{{cite web |last1=Vera |first1=Veronica |title=About Veronica Vera |url=https://veronicaverawrites.com/about-veronica-vera/ |website=Veronica Vera Writes|date=February 15, 2023 }}

Vera's activist work includes a testimony she gave in 1983 that became part of the Meese Report. She was also a founder of the first porn star support group, Club 90.{{cite web |last1=Vera |first1=Veronica |title=About Veronica Vera |url=https://veronicaverawrites.com/about-veronica-vera/ |website=Veronica Vera Writes|date=February 15, 2023 }}