Jan Gay was a children's book author who frequently worked with her partner and illustrator, Zhenya Gay. She also wrote a book about nudism titled 'On Going Naked' (with Zhenya doing the photography for the book). Jan's interest in naturism continued as she wrote the documentary 'This Naked Age' (aka 'This Nude World'/'Back to Nature'), and opened the naturist club, the Out-of-Doors Club, in New York.

Jan also helped set up the New York Commission for the Study of Sex Variants, in which she acted as a researcher, and subject. Her intention was that better understanding of different sexualities would lead to greater acceptance.