Interview with Christine Psaila

Christine Psaila is a woman whose story unfolds not through spectacle, but through quiet courage, reflection, and an unwavering commitment to honesty. After spending decades living in the shadows of expectation and survival, she emerged with a voice shaped by resilience and compassion, one that speaks gently yet powerfully to anyone who has ever felt unseen. Her memoir, 35 Years in Hiding, is not just a recounting of transition, but a deeply human exploration of self-acceptance, healing, and the slow, often fragile process of learning to live truthfully. Christine’s journey reminds us that authenticity does not always arrive loudly, sometimes it arrives softly, in the form of self-trust, gentleness, and the courage to finally take up space as oneself.

 

At the heart of Christine’s story is a profound sense of emotional clarity and kindness toward both her past and present self. She speaks with rare honesty about vulnerability, not as weakness, but as a strength carefully earned over time. Through her words, readers are invited into the inner landscape of a woman who learned to listen to herself after years of silence, and who now values peace over performance. Christine’s perspective offers reassurance rather than instruction, presence rather than certainty, making her journey deeply relatable to anyone navigating identity, loss, or becoming.

Interview with Vonni

Some lives unfold quietly, like a soft melody in the background of the world. Others crash in like a glittering confetti cannon, leaving everyone breathless and dazzled. Vonni belongs to the latter. Born in Manchester, England, she arrived in Australia at eleven, but it was Adelaide that shaped her, with its sunburnt streets and narrow expectations, where a young girl first learned that being different could be dangerous, and that humour, courage, and imagination were survival tools. From those early days, Vonni’s path was never ordinary. Bullied at school, she learned to navigate a world that often misunderstood her, eventually stepping into the dazzling yet perilous nightlife of Adelaide in the 1970s. Behind the flashing lights of La Belle, she discovered herself, performing pre-surgery, mastering the art of illusion, learning that striptease was theatre, wit, and resilience all rolled into one. Her journey took her to the glittering touring stages of Melbourne’s Les Girls, to the chaotic, high-stakes strip clubs of Kings Cross, and even inside the walls of Long Bay Gaol, always moving, always sparkling, always refusing to be invisible.

Along the way, Vonni found mentors, friends, and family in feathers and diamonds. Debra Legae, her fairy godmother with a ledger and scissors, taught her the art of makeup, stagecraft, and financial survival. Carlotta, the goddess of Australian drag, whose phone call changed Vonni’s life, led to a friendship that has lasted decades. Together, these experiences forged a woman whose career spans half a century, from cabaret and burlesque to international stages, from running nightclubs to making history as the first Australian transgender woman to play Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Vonni’s story is glitter-strewn, chaotic, hilarious, and profoundly human. It’s about courage and artistry, heartbreak and triumph, and the way one woman, by sheer force of personality, talent, and tenacity, turned her life into a stage worthy of applause. Tonight, we settle into her world. The lights dim, the sequins catch the glow, and we talk with Vonni, a living archive of Australian queer performance history, still daring, still sparkling, still unapologetically herself.

Interview with Alicia Sainz Arballo

Alicia Sainz Arballo is a woman shaped by time, patience, and a deep willingness to look inward. A lifelong educator, counselor, and advocate, she spent 36 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District supporting students, mentoring teachers, and quietly building safer spaces through her school’s GSA and LGBTQIA+ professional development work. Long before she had the language or freedom to live openly, Alicia was already listening, observing, and caring, skills that would later become central to both her poetry and her transition. A musician since the age of six, with a formal background in music and counseling, Alicia has always understood emotion as something felt in the body before it ever becomes words. Poetry became her way of holding what could not yet be spoken, grief, longing, confusion, accountability, and eventually joy.

 

Her poem Grief weaves together the experiences of aging veterans and trans lives, offering a powerful meditation on loss, listening, and the difficult work of letting go of systems that once felt unquestionable. Alicia medically transitioned at 62, decades after first coming out and after a long period of detours, pauses, and self-protection. Her book Transition is not a story of sudden revelation, but of endurance, honesty, and the courage to begin again later in life. Writing with vulnerability about family, love, separation, and self-awareness, Alicia speaks to a generation of trans people whose stories are often overlooked. She continues to advocate for trans-affirming healthcare for all ages, reminding us that becoming yourself is not bound by youth, but by readiness, compassion, and truth.

Interview with Meredith Lee

Growing up in California in the 1970s and 1980s, Meredith had little exposure to openly LGBTQIA+ lives, encountering gender and sexuality only through the narrow, often misleading lens of media. It wasn’t until she moved to Australia, nearly thirty, that Meredith began to explore the truths that had been quietly forming inside her. In the process, she discovered that her identity did not have to be confined to a single form. What emerged was not a replacement of one self with another, but a dual existence: Meredith alongside Derek, each fully real, each fully valid. Through her memoir, Double Exposure, and her thoughtful presence online, Meredith challenges the conventional notion that gender must be singular or fixed. Her story is not only about fashion, names, or appearances, it is about the deep, daily negotiation of selfhood, the joy of being seen, and the courage it takes to show the world that a person can exist in multiple, beautiful ways. She speaks openly about the interplay between visibility and vulnerability, the pressures and privileges of “passing,” and the delicate balance of honoring both her past and present selves.

 

Yet at every turn, her reflections are filled with warmth, humor, and a quiet wisdom that draws people in and makes them feel seen themselves. Meredith’s experiences with love, intimacy, and community have shaped her understanding of human connection in ways that are unconventional yet profoundly human. She has discovered the power of online and real-life networks in giving her both courage and a sense of belonging, and she continues to find inspiration in the stories of others navigating their own complexities. Her life is a vivid example that authenticity is not a destination but an ongoing, evolving journey. By living openly as both Meredith and Derek, she invites others to question rigid assumptions about identity, to embrace their own contradictions, and to find joy in the fullness of who they are. Her story is at once intimate and universal, a reminder that complexity does not dilute authenticity, but enriches it, and that the courage to be oneself can ripple outward, inspiring and liberating those around us.

Interview with Dee McWatters

Growing up in Summerland, British Columbia, amidst the family winery, Sumac Ridge, Dee McWatters was immersed in a world where wine was more than a drink, it was culture, ritual, and connection. Though neither she nor her sister initially planned to pursue careers in the wine industry, Dee’s path seemed almost destined to intertwine with her family’s legacy, blending heritage with her own passions and creativity. These experiences, paired with a family environment that embraced discovery and expression, laid the groundwork for a life lived fully, without fear of breaking molds. Dee’s journey of self-discovery took on profound depth when she began her transition. Her memoir, Sorry I Was Such a D!ck, When I Had One!, is at once funny, honest, and deeply personal, capturing the moments of reflection, struggle, and catharsis that accompanied her transformation. Through writing, Dee confronted emotions long suppressed, finding both liberation and self-realization. Transitioning publicly in her forties, she navigated societal expectations, internalized pressures, and the challenge of redefining herself while remaining true to the values she had always held.

 

But Dee’s story is not just about personal transformation, it is about advocacy, community, and lifting others as she rises. From her early days as a firefighter, hockey official, and business professional, she learned the importance of fairness, safety, and inclusion. These experiences shaped her approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, allowing her to champion underrepresented voices, break down barriers, and educate communities about meaningful allyship. Her commitment to creating spaces where everyone belongs reflects her belief that kindness, courage, and action are inseparable from a life well-lived. Today, Dee dreams boldly, striving to make global impact while staying rooted in local community. From speaking engagements and EDI consulting to considering a run for town council, she continues to inspire through action, showing that living authentically and using one’s voice for change can coexist beautifully. Dee’s life is a celebration of courage, joy, and transformation, a reminder that our truest selves are worth embracing, and that by standing in our authenticity, we create space for others to do the same. 

Interview with Rachel Walters

Rachel Walters is a woman who bloomed beautifully, even if later than she might have imagined. Approaching her 70th birthday, she reflects on a journey of quiet discovery and courage, one that truly began in 2012 after she took early retirement. Though the path to living as her authentic self crept up slowly, it was a journey rooted in a lifetime of feeling different, of secret moments spent slipping into her mother’s and sister’s clothes as a child, finding joy and comfort in those small acts of self-expression. Rachel has long been part of the trans community in the west and south of England, moving gracefully from one support group to another, offering guidance and warmth to those just beginning their own transitions, and cherishing the deep friendships she has built along the way. She does not seek the spotlight, yet her presence is radiant and visible, a testament to living openly and unapologetically. Her professional life began in the disciplined world of the Navy, where her civilian roles allowed brief escapes for self-discovery and freedom. Alongside work, Rachel navigated the challenges of life with quiet strength: a marriage that ended, raising two children on her own, and finding new purpose in unexpected places.

 

Joining her local Search and Rescue Team just before retirement became a turning point, and she embraced her identity fully while serving, stepping into leadership and carving a place for herself among a few other trans women in UK SAR. Even after stepping back due to family matters and illness, her passion and resilience brought her back to the team, stronger and more grounded than ever. Beyond SAR, Rachel’s gentle leadership extends to the NHS Leadership Academy, her local Police Independent Advisory Group, and she is also deeply involved in trans advocacy, contributing to Translucent.org.uk by conducting research and gathering information and evidence to support others in the community. In addition, she is an active member of the Beaumont Society and GIRES, as well as several LGBTQ research groups, using her experience and insight to help shape understanding, policy, and support for trans and gender-diverse people. She finds joy in simple pleasures too, wandering the countryside with her rambling group, yet always keeping her heart tuned to the needs of her community. Rachel Walters is a woman who has lived courageously, loved deeply, and continues to embrace life with openness, grace, and a quiet, enduring strength.