Lauren R. Taylor

Lauren R. Taylor is a leader in the field of preventing, interrupting, and healing from gender-based violence. Her book, “Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World,” co-authored with Nadia Telsey, is a blueprint for resilience, self-advocacy, and collective liberation.

Lauren has been working to end gender-based violence since 1978, when she co-founded Washington, D.C.’s, first shelter for abused women. She’s a survivor who, for more than 35 years, has been teaching skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault to those most targeted: women, LGBTQIA+ people, and disabled people.

As a trainer and director of Defend Yourself, Lauren and her team have reached more than 40,000 people in the D.C. area and nationally. 

From my first look at a "Our Bodies, Ourselves" when I was 16 and it was just a few pages of newsprint, it’s been a trusted friend in understanding health and sexuality. Now I have decades of work in ending gender-based violence, and I’m thrilled to contribute to the work of OBOS. Well beyond print, it’s a way to share skills and knowledge with those who can benefit from it.