Interview with Sheri Swokowski

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Sheri Swokowski, an American advocate for transgender rights and former U.S. Army colonel. She is the highest-ranking, out, transgender US Army veteran in the United States. Hello Sheri!

Sheri: Hello Monika!

Monika: I am so happy to have you here! Let me start with a question about your professional life. You can boast a fantastic military career …
Sheri: I enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard after high school and shortly thereafter started working full time as a federal employee. A dozen years later, I had the best of both worlds, as I was offered an opportunity to go on active duty in support of the WI National Guard.
I was a career infantry soldier who spent almost 35 years in uniform. I advanced through the enlisted ranks, attended the WI Military Academy and earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant. I made the most of many opportunities and served as a Company Commander with two deployments, although in my day they were to Europe. I served on a two star staff and was the Force Integrator, Strategic Planner and finally the J1, Director of Manpower and Personnel.

Interview with Ísabel Pirsic

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Ísabel Pirsic, an Austrian transgender rights activist, member of TransX, a Vienna based organization that supports the transgender community in Austria. Hello Ísabel!

Ísabel: Hello Monika! Pleasure and honour is mine as well.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ísabel: I started my public transition about 4 years ago and am engaged in activism since 2 years. I work as a scientist at university, doing research in mathematics.

Monika: What are the goals of TransX?

Ísabel: We aim to give personal support for trans people in their individual processes and also do political activism for naming laws, depathologization, trans prisoners' rights etc. The most visible part are our bi-monthly meetings, where we usually also have talks about dedicated topics; these are meeting places as well as a means of establishing what trans culture can be.

Interview with Roxanne Manzone

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Roxanne L. Manzone, a Florida Department of Transportation Roadway Inspector from Ocala, Florida. Hello Roxanne! 

Roxanne: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Roxanne: I retired from Law Enforcement here in Ocala, Fl, and have lived here for over 40 years, and grew up in New York. I am a “Car Girl” and enjoy displaying my car in car shows. I volunteer at a local soup kitchen once a week. I am a model train enthusiast, and I custom paint scale model trains.

Monika: I saw your short story in The New York Times series titled “Transgender Today.” Why did you decide to come out to the general public?

Roxanne: My attitude is that there is so little information about the Transgender Community, we are all responsible to be visible in a positive way, many people have never met a Transgender person, and I want people who meet me to have a positive impression. I wanted people to see that we are everyday people too.

Interview with Jemma

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Jemma, a transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com as SuddenlyJemma. Hello Jemma!

Jemma: Hi! Thanks for the opportunity!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jemma: Sure! I'm in my early 30's, started transitioning at 30 years old. I currently work in a tire manufacturing factory that makes the tires for the giant off road mining equipment. Our smallest tire is 9.5 feet tall and weighs almost 2 tons! Definitely not the easiest job; but it pays the bills. I have 2 rescue dogs and a handful of guinea pigs at the moment.

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on Reddit

Jemma: The trans communities on Reddit really helped me to come to grips with my gender issues and help to give me a little bit of hope that transition might be a big help to me. At first, I was terrified that transition and hormones wouldn't have much an effect on me. The Q&A posts, timelines, and information there were so helpful and inspiring that I'd like to be able to contribute something back for people at that same early stage and needing a little hope.

Interview with Faye Seidler

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Faye Seidler, an inspirational American transactivist, educator, and writer from Fargo, North Dakota.
Faye: Hi! :)
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Faye: I’m a trans activist, writer, and nerd with a strong belief in a better future. My work primarily focuses on my experiences, humor, and research, all of which seeks to create positive change for the transgender community.
Monika: I saw your short story in The New York Times series titled “Transgender Today.” Why did you decide to come out to the general public?
Faye: I saw a serious lack of visibility in our community and that most people were getting their information about trans people from stereotypes they saw on television. I also saw a medical network that told trans people to blend in, to deny, or to hide their identity. I saw a tremendous amount of erasure for what it meant to be trans and the identity itself controlled and enforced as a stereotypical binary by the medical industry.

Interview with Jessica Harrington

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Jessica Harrington, an inspirational American woman from Reno, Nevada. Hello Jessica!
Jessica: Hi Monika. Thank you for having me. 
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Jessica: I am a 42-year-old trans woman. I have been in transition for almost 5 years and while it’s has been amazing being free, it’s also been the hardest time of my life.
Monika: At what age did you transition into woman yourself? Was it a difficult process? 
Jessica: I started transition when I was 38. The process itself wasn’t that difficult. I did my research for years before hand. I knew what I needed, who I needed to talk to and about what everything would cost me.