Rej is a 1.5-generation Korean American, born in Seoul (S. Korea), grew up in Portland (OR) until he moved to NYC as an adult. In 2006, Rej founded Portland’s first ever peer led support group (TranzGuyz) for AFAB people of trans and/or nonbinary experience. He was one of the founding organizers of KQTCON 2013, the first global conference for LGBTQ people of Korean descent in NYC. In June 2020, he started a global online monthly support group for trans and nonbinary people pursuing/undergoing bottom surgeries. 

Since 2005, he has been working with and serving various communities in the capacity of community education, case management, anti-violence work, HIV research, and social service. He is an avid lover of martial arts and has been an instructor and a practitioner for over 15 years and holds black belts in both Hapkido and Taekwondo. He has been teaching self defense classes for the last five years for vulnerable communities. 

Rej is a co-founder of STB (Secure the Bag) Safety, which is an organization that centers its work around protecting the lives of our Black, Indigenous, People Of Color (BIPOC)/Trans, Gender Non Conforming, Non-Binary (TGNCNB) siblings. STB Safety aims to equip our community members with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate their everyday lives, safely. If you’d like to donate please go to Marquise & Rej’s Secure the Bag Go Fund Me Page and follow STB on Instgram here