N. Leigh Dunlap

In 1993, Dunlap published a section in a book titled A Certain Terror: Heterosexism, Militarism, Violence & Change. The book addresses a compilation of subjects, and Dunlap's contribution is titled "What exactly is heterosexuality and what causes it?" Like many of Dunlap's other work, the excerpt addresses themes of feminism, homophobia, and heterosexuality/homosexuality.

Dunlap's cartoons were received well by the public and recognized as playing a role in stimulating social change of the time. Run That Sucker at Six!: the Second Morgan Calabrese Collection was listed as a bestseller in August 1989 by Lambda Rising News.

Again following the character of Morgan Calabrese, Dunlap has published two books that have received acclaim within the community. The first book, titled Morgan Calabrese: The Movie was published in 1987, and the second, Run That Sucker at Six!: the Second Morgan Calabrese Collection, was published in 1989. The first book was published by New Victoria Publishers, whereas the latter was published by St. Martins Press. Switching to St. Martins Press allowed Dunlap to gain more exposure, as New Victoria Publishers was a smaller organization supporting only women. Her books, like the publications in The Washington Blade, align with themes of relationships, life events, and softball.

In 1987, Dunlap cofounded a lesbian theater company called "Order Before Midnight" with friend Kate Bornstein, whom she met while pursuing graphic design in Philadelphia. The company created two plays, one called the Last Summer at Bluefish Cove and the other called A Late Snow: A Play in Two Acts. Dunlap and Bornstein were able to get some of the highest profile lesbian activists of the time involved. The play follows the journey of eight women in Bluefish Cove, one of which is played by Dunlap. Dunlap is an actor in the films, playing the character Lil in Last Summer at Bluefish Cove and Pat in A Late Snow: A Play in Two Acts. The play is considered a landmark piece in Lesbian dramatic literature, and is renowned for its humor, three dimensional characters, and sensitivity towards potentially problematic portrayals. The play was shown in many women's music festivals, and the two were invited to a prestigious art festival known as Sister Space Women's Festival. Notably, this was a new kind of play considering it was a live play.

Dunlap has been married since 1986, and has two children. Her son was born in 1999, and her daughter was born in 2000.

A majority of Dunlap's publications can be found in The Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the country. The newspaper chronicles ongoing transformations within the queer community, and Dunlap's comics do no different. She published weekly strips in the newspaper from 1985–1995. Dunlap's publications in the newspaper mainly follow the character Morgan Calabrese, a young, hot-tempered lesbian. Dunlap's comics heavily characterize Morgan, and she has even been called the "lesbian hero of the 90s." Some of her featured panels also include other characters, such as Page Turner. Through her publications in the newspaper, Dunlap created characters that resonated with readers while also forcing them to question their own viewpoints on various issues. While Dunlap's primary focused revolved around LGBTQ+ matters, she also dealt with controversies concerning AIDS, women's music festivals, workplace discrimination, and Reagan-era politics.

N. Leigh Dunlap (born 1961) is an American graphic designer, actor, illustrator, cartoonist and copywriter. She is best known for her cartoonist contributions named Morgan Calabrese. Throughout her career, Dunlap has published much material surrounding LGBTQ+ activism and was a winner of the 2nd Lambda Literary Award under the humor category.