Saturday 24 August 2013

Interview with Ivory Oasis


Monika: Today’s interview will be with Ivory Oasis (Dani Landers), a young video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Ivory runs Studio Fawn where she is responsible for art, writing, and design. Hello Ivory!
Ivory: Hi there! :)
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Ivory: Basically I’m an artist/game developer living in LA. My life pretty much revolves around that, and of course, in my extra time, I try to move ahead with transitioning. Feel free to check out my current project “Bloom: Memories” (studiofawn.com).
Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?
Ivory: When I was first exploring the possibility of transitioning I remember finding transition videos of other people. Just being able to see the effects of hormones or surgeries and other transition experiences helped me get a much better idea of what was possible for myself. Without those videos, it would have been a much scarier proposition to begin transitioning. So, I’m just doing my part to help those who are now facing the same challenges I was.

Friday 23 August 2013

Interview with Lynda Oudenhoven


Monika: Today I would like to introduce to you Lynda Oudenhoven, an American mechanic and video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Lynda!
Lynda: Hi Monika and thank you for inviting me to be part of your interview series, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Lynda: Sure, I'm a 51-year-old Denver Police Fleet Mechanic. I have another 3 years, 9 months until I retire, after 27 years of service, and pursue other employment interests. I have a beautiful 29-year-old daughter and I live with my two dogs and one cat near the foothills of Denver Colorado.
Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?
Lynda: Probably for a couple of reasons. I wanted to have something for my daughter to remember this time. Something she can look at long after I'm gone. I also wanted to share with other women in the community, that might be contemplating transitioning/surgery, so as to provide some comfort for them. If I can overcome my fears/anxieties... anybody can.

Monday 19 August 2013

Interview with Susan Jane Bigelow


Monika: Today let me present Susan Jane Bigelow, an American transgender writer, librarian, political columnist, and author of "Ramona’s Demons", featured in Topside Press: “The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard”. Susan writes a weekly political column for the outstanding Connecticut political news website, CT News Junkie, where she focuses on politics inside and relevant to the Nutmeg State. In 2005-2010, she wrote for the Connecticut political blog CT Local Politics. Hello Susan!
Susan: Hello, Monika! Thank you for having me.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Susan: Sure. I’m a librarian, a political columnist, and a writer. I live with my wife in the northeastern United States. I’m the author of the Extrahumans series, the Grayline Sisters series, and you can find my writing in QUEERS DIG TIME LORDS as well as the Topside Press COLLECTION.
Monika: How did you start writing?
Susan: I’ve always been a writer, even when I was little. I would make up stories, and my mother would encourage me to write them down. I can’t imagine myself without writing at this point.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Interview with Carol Mapley


Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Carol Mapley, a Scottish nationalist, LGBT activist, and a former policewoman. She served in the RAF’s Observer Corps for 18 years. Her police career started in 1977 when she joined Grampian Police. She is Scottish Labour’s first transgender election candidate for the Castle Douglas and Glenken council seat. Hello Carol!
Carol: Hi Monika! It's lovely to speak to you.
Monika: Could you say a few words about your career so far?
Carol: I’ve had two distinct career strands to date – the police and mental health. I work within the Police Service of Scotland where I help formulate national policy and service delivery in relation to transgendered officers and staff as well as the transgendered people that we the police come into contact with every day in Scotland.
I play an active role in delivering mental health, and trans awareness training at our national police college in Fife. I also serve as a director of a major Scottish mental health charity – Vox Scotland. Vox is a charity that represents the views of mental health service users in the planning and provision of mental health services within Scotland.

Saturday 17 August 2013

Interview with Mikki Whitworth


Monika: Today’s interview will be with Mikki Whitworth, an American transgender writer, author of "Masks of a Superhero", featured in Topside Press‘s “The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard” (2012). Hello Mikki!
Mikki: Hello, thank you for this opportunity to reach out to my readers and the community at large.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Mikki: What can I say about myself? I guess the one part of my life that stands out is that I am a disabled American veteran. I served my country in my youth. Now 25 years later, I am still picking up the pieces of that service. I have been with a wonderful man for 18 years, he has stood by my side through understanding my mental illness, standing next to me through transitioning, and returning to college at nearly 40.
Monika: How did you start writing?
Mikki: I started writing as a way to deal with my illness. I began writing with a group of veterans at my local veteran’s hospital. My first two major works were entered into the VA National Creative Arts Festival. They won silver and bronze medals. I knew I was doing something right and thus began my goal to write more and better, which eventually led to my desire to return to college.

Friday 16 August 2013

Interview with Azora Alexander


Monika: Today’s interview will be with Azora Alexander, a young American video blogger from North Carolina that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Azora!
Azora: Hello Monika! It is such an honor to be here.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Azora: Well I’m 25 years old, and I live in a small town in North Carolina.
Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?
Azora: I actually started making videos about 3 years ago. they started as just makeup videos and over time I would talk about various personal things, and so when I decided to make my transition I felt that vlogging about it would not only be therapeutic but also maybe my experiences both good and bad could help let others know that they are not alone.

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