Interview with Daniela Špinar

Daniela Špinar is a Czech theatre director, playwright, and public intellectual whose life and work have become a symbol of courage, transformation, and artistic excellence. She is known for her bold interpretations and fearless storytelling. Not only has she left an indelible mark on Czech theatre, but she has also become one of the most visible trans women in the country, using her voice to break down social stereotypes and foster understanding. She was born as Daniel Špinar and studied drama at DAMU in Prague, where she focused on acting and directing. Her talent quickly propelled her into the spotlight. From 2008 to 2010, she worked as a resident director at the Vinohrady Theatre, one of Prague’s most prestigious theatres. In 2014, she joined the National Theatre as a resident director, and from September 2015 she became the artistic director of the drama ensemble, a position she held for seven years. Her era was marked by daring productions, modern reinterpretations of classics, and pushing the boundaries of theatrical expression. Despite her professional success, Daniela struggled for a long time with questions of identity. At the age of twenty, she came out as gay because she believed that explained her inner conflict. But only at forty, during intensive psychotherapy, did she acknowledge a deeper truth: she is a trans woman. At the end of 2021, she publicly came out as trans, becoming the first widely known trans personality in Czech theatre. She described it as an enormous liberation, her mind had always been female, even if her body was not.

Interview with Anja Jürgenssen

 

Anja Jürgenssen’s life reads like a journey across worlds, from the rigid discipline of the Royal Marines Commandos to the quiet triumphs of online learning at one of the UK’s largest universities. Born in the northeast of England, she left home at sixteen, chasing an ideal of masculinity that never truly fit her, only to discover, years later, the freedom of living as her authentic self. Three decades in policing exposed her to life at its most raw and fragile, moments of triumph mingling with profound sorrow, until a near-death experience sparked a shift that would change everything. From that turning point, Anja immersed herself in learning, earning qualifications that led her to educate adults and create distance learning programs that reach thousands. Her path as a trans woman in the UK has not been easy. Navigating a healthcare system with decades of gatekeeping, enduring years-long waits for treatment, and facing the societal pressures of “passing” could have been overwhelming, yet she has transformed these challenges into advocacy, mentorship, and support for others.

Interview with Amanda Elstak

 

Today I would like to introduce a truly remarkable guest, Amanda Elstak, a proudly transsexual singer, performer, and dedicated activist. Amanda has left a lasting mark not only in the Hungarian music scene with her 2007 album Szükségem van a szerelemre (“I Need Love”), but also in civil society. She is the creator of the Hungarian Tolerance Award, the Hungarian Charity Award, and the Hungarian Equal Opportunity Award, and since 2010 she has served as president of the Together for Tolerance Foundation and the Hungarian Tolerance Association. Through her work, she promotes social acceptance and equality, with particular attention to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and Roma communities.

 

Amanda is equally at home on stage and in the media. For years she hosted shows at Budapest venues such as Limo Caffe, Capella Caffe, Angyal Bár, and Club Bohemian Alibi, as well as events like the Hungarian Porn Oscar Awards, the Erotica Parade, and the Mr. Gay Hungary beauty pageant. After a long hiatus, she revived the Amanda Elstak Show in 2021, which now welcomes audiences at two Budapest nightlife locations, the Black Unicorn Bar and the Crush Budapest Club. In addition, Amanda teaches alternative therapies, Reiki, crystal healing, and psi-surgery, and as a life coach she helps people find their inner harmony. Her career and life are both inspiring and exemplary. In this interview, Amanda shares how she became one of the most recognized and influential voices of the Hungarian LGBTQ community, the challenges she faced along the way, and what continues to motivate her to work for her community today.

Interview with Fallon Fox

Fallon Fox was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1975, and even as a child she sensed a truth inside that didn’t match the body others saw. Growing up, she thought she might be gay, since liking “girl things” was labeled that way, but her longing ran deeper. At nineteen she married her high-school love, became a father, and quietly carried the weight of an identity she could not yet claim. Service in the U.S. Navy taught her resilience, but the discipline of military life could not silence her need for authenticity. After her discharge and a short time at the University of Toledo, she turned to long-haul trucking, saving every paycheck for the day she could live openly. In 2006, in Bangkok, Thailand, Fallon underwent feminizing surgery and breast augmentation, finally stepping into herself. Returning to Illinois, she trained in mixed martial arts at the Midwest Training Center.

 

She called herself the Queen of Swords, earning the name with three knockouts and two submissions—proof that strength and femininity could exist side by side. In March 2013, Fallon came out publicly through Outsports and Sports Illustrated, becoming the first openly transgender athlete in professional MMA. Her announcement ignited debate: some praised her courage, others questioned fairness. The discussion intensified after fighter Tamikka Brents sustained an injury in 2014. Fallon faced the controversy head-on, advocating for policies based on science and fairness, and encouraging research into how hormone therapy affects strength, bone density, and endurance. Beyond her record in the cage, her legacy became one of visibility and advocacy, helping to move the conversation from fear and resistance toward understanding and inclusion in the world of sports.

Interview with Lynne Jones

Lynne Jones is a luminous presence in the transgender community, a woman whose journey shines with resilience, compassion, and an unshakable devotion to others. As Vice President of the Beaumont Society, now blossoming into TransKind by Beaumont, she has poured her energy into modernizing this pioneering organization, ensuring it speaks to new generations while honoring its proud history. Her commitment is deeply personal, born from her own tender struggles with identity and self-acceptance. At just twelve years old, Lynne felt the undeniable pull to live as her true self, a longing that in those days carried no roadmap. In the shadows of a pre-internet world, information was scarce, yet hope found her in Manchester’s gay village, where she discovered that there was a name for what she felt — a revelation that brought comfort, recognition, and light. Through the years, Lynne has embraced her identity with grace and pride, surrounding herself with friends and family who celebrate her authentic self. Her life has been touched by profound trials and moments of destiny, none more dramatic than surviving the September 11 attacks while working in the World Trade Center. In the midst of chaos and loss, she discovered a renewed vow: to live boldly, to love deeply, and to uplift those who walk beside her.

Interview with Sofia Saunier

When I approach Sofía Saunier’s story, I don’t see just a biography, I see a journey woven with courage, sensitivity, and beauty. Born in Montevideo in 1974, she first found her stage in Buenos Aires during the 1990s underground scene, where drag, dance, and performance carved out cracks of freedom in a society that often preferred to look away. There, Sofía not only learned how to inhabit the stage, but also how to turn her body and voice into a declaration of existence. Two decades later, upon returning to Uruguay, she began to unfold a multi-layered artistic language: photography, audiovisual work, painting, drawing, and writing. It was not dispersion but a single thread: the urgency of telling trans and queer lives with truth, tenderness, and dignity. That urgency took form in Transur, a project that since 2013 has gathered more than seventy interviews, becoming an invaluable archive of stories that might otherwise have been silenced. Through Transur, Sofía opened a window onto diversity, showing that our lives are much more than what sensationalist television used to portray. Her free spirit also led her to create another project, Transmotoqueras, where together with her companions she rode through the roads of Uruguay, filming each kilometer as an act of visibility and freedom. Taking the road is no small gesture: it means claiming public space, confronting prejudice, and reminding society that trans women also build full and open lives.