Rubenstein began her career as a nurse. She worked at the Center for Special Problems in San Francisco, where she supported sexual minorities and transgender people. She then worked as a counselor in a private practice for 40 years, After receiving her doctorate, she served as a faculty member at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. The organization provided confidential information about sex via telephone. which was headquartered in the house of American writer and LGBT activist
David Lourea. In the early 1980s, she co-founded the first and oldest bisexual political organization BiPOL, with Autumn Courtney,
Lani Kaʻahumanu, Arlene Krantz, David Lourea, Bill Mack, and
Alan Rockway. Rubenstein was active in the
Harvey Milk Democratic Club. == Honors ==