Interview with Sabrina Symington

Monika: My today’s guest is Sabrina Symington, a Canadian illustrator, graphic novelist and blogger who runs the popular LGBTQ+ webcomic Life of Bria. Sabrina is the author of two comic books: ‘First Year Out: A Transition Story’(2017) and ‘Coming Out, Again: Transition Stories’ to be published next year, and a columnist at TG Forum. Hello Sabrina! 

Sabrina: Hi Monika!

Monika: There are comic books about Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman and other heroes of our childhood that have defined the way we look at comic books. Your ‘First Year Out: A Transition Story’ (2017) proves that a comic book can be a perfect form of expression for transition as well.

Sabrina: I have always cared most about “narrative” in my art. This is a common thread I see with trans people; we often seem very interested in coming up with a “story” to our lives so we can make sense of the feelings we’ve had throughout them. These stories come to define us, they anchor us to our sense of self, and having this story be understood by others is one of the most affirming things I can imagine.

Interview with Lily (bamb00unicorn)

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Lily, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com and Instagram, transgender activist, and film enthusiast. Hello Lily!

Lily: Hi! I’m flattered that you asked to interview me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lily: Well, I’m a 24 year old transgender woman who loves movies, is extremely sarcastic, and optimistic!

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on social media?

Lily: I started using Instagram and Reddit as online spaces where I could be myself. I grew up in a conservative town in Michigan where there wasn’t really much of an LGBTQ community. I couldn’t be out there, so Instagram became a safe space for me to express myself and document my transition.

Interview with Selena

Monika: Today we are going to Germany where I am hosting a special guest. Selena is a German space scientist and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. I am going to talk to Selena about her amazing journey towards womanhood. Hello Selena!

Selena: Hello Monika, thank you for interviewing me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Selena: Well, I am a 56-year-old trans woman from Berlin, of Australian origin. I began a physical transition 2 years ago. I had a brief period 23 years ago when I prepared myself for transition, but I unexpectedly met my darling wife. She knew about the doubts I had over my gender, but the relationship was so unexpectedly lovely that we both thought I could stay male for the sake of it. She thought her acceptance could cure my pain, and I thought I could live with my doubts as an "envy". And for the first years of our relationship, this worked.

We have brought two sublime children into the world. As a stay at home parent, I was heavily involved in the pretty much all female world of childcare, and I had some lovely first Mum friends who didn't seem to see my gender - they just treated me as one of them. So that soothed me for several years too.

Interview with Cereza Corazón B

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Cereza Corazón B, a transgender woman from Mexico that documents her transition on social media. Hello Corazón!

Corazón: Hi Monika, thank you for setting up this interview! Hello folk of the Internet, onlookers and regulars of Monika’s. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Corazón: My name is Cereza Corazón B. I’m of Mexican nationality and really mixed heritage. It is my desire to be free that drives me forward and leads me to try new things. It is that same desire that guides me to accept and embrace who I am.

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on social media?

Corazón: I’ll be honest, it originally started because I had a really hard time believing that I could be seen as a woman. Although my beginning in Reddit was less than glamorous it did help me gain the confidence necessary to break away from my shell and believe I could actually do it.

Interview with Gabrielle Claiborne

Monika: For today's interview I have invited an inspirational woman from Georgia in the USA. Gabrielle Claiborne is a successful businesswoman that owned and operated successful businesses in the construction industry, overseeing multi-million dollar projects nationwide. She is a co-founder and CEO of Transformation Journeys Worldwide, an inclusion training and consulting firm with a transgender focus. Gabrielle received many awards and honors for her transgender activism, including the Atlanta’s 2015 Best Trans Activist, Emory University’s 2018 Alum of the Year Pride Award, and the 2019 Outstanding Voice for Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. She is the author of ‘Embrace Your Truth: A Journey of Authenticity’ (2020), TEDx speaker and her work has been featured in Forbes. Hello Gabrielle!

Gabrielle: Hi Monika! Thank you for the opportunity to be featured today.

Monika: How are you doing in these crazy pandemic times?

Gabrielle: Monika, we are definitely living in challenging times, a time when everyone’s safety, sense of belonging and connection with family, friends and well-being is being challenged unlike never before. In the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges, we’re all being called on to find ways to survive, many times, moment-by-moment, one day at a time.

Interview with Angie Brewer

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Angie Brewer, a British blogger, and author of the biographical book titled 'It's Just a Phase!' (2020). Hello Angie!

Angie: Hello Monika! Thanks for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Angie: I am a 53 year old post op trans woman, blogger, and author. I am open, honest and living life. I was born and bred in Leeds. I am a Yorkshire girl through and through and a Huddersfield Town fan for my sins.

Monika: Your biographical book was published just a couple of months ago. Why did you decide to write the autobiography?

Angie: The book came about after talking with my friend Andy. We have known each other most of our lives and told him that I was going to transition and he suggested writing a diary of my transition and writing blogs detailing how my transition was going and how  family friends people I met through work, and how they had taken to the real me, and then finally how my life had been leading to this point.