Interview with Bobbie Lang

Bobbie Lang is an American transgender activist, businesswoman, blogger, Vietnam veteran, and author of Transgender Christians in Chains (2013). She began her transition in 1981, at a time when public understanding of transgender people was limited and the distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation was unfamiliar to many. Having served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, she faced the challenges of reconciling her transition with her Christian faith and family life. Her personal journey was further complicated by rejection from several churches, experiences that eventually led her to spend sixteen years away from church congregations while maintaining her faith through private devotion.

 

Originally written as a memoir for her daughter and family, her book became an opportunity to reach others struggling with questions of gender identity, religion, and acceptance. Through her work with the Rosenberg Clinic in Texas, her participation in medical and psychological conferences, and her ongoing educational efforts, Bobbie has sought to promote a better understanding of transgender women within Christian communities. She also writes on her blog, Bobbie Lang and Transgender Christians in Chains, where she seeks to bridge the gap between the church and the LGBT community. In this interview, Bobbie shares her experiences of transition, discusses the challenges transgender people face in religious institutions and American society, and reflects on the importance of faith, love, and finding peace with oneself.

Interview with Fernanda Milán

Fernanda Milán is a Guatemalan transgender activist who made history as the first transgender person to be granted asylum in Denmark. Forced to leave her homeland after experiencing persecution, violence and threats connected to her identity and activism, she faced a difficult legal battle before finally receiving refugee status in November 2013. Her case drew support from LGBT organizations and activists in Denmark and internationally, including Transgender Europe, ILGA and OASIS Guatemala, as well as countless individuals who campaigned for her right to remain safe.

 

Having experienced rejection and discrimination from an early age, Fernanda became committed to challenging prejudice and fighting for a world where everyone can live with dignity and equality. Her work encompasses transgender rights, gender-based violence and human trafficking. She is also a co-founder of Trans-Project, writes for the human trafficking information website Talk Trafficking, and has been working on a novel blending autobiography and fiction. A lover of fashion and the performing arts, Fernanda believes in the importance of solidarity between different movements for social justice. In this interview, she reflects on her journey to asylum, the challenges facing transgender women in Guatemala and Denmark, her activism, her hopes for love and family, and her determination to help build a more inclusive world.

Interview with Jennifer Chavez

Jennifer Michelle Chavez is an American transgender activist and certified master auto repair technician from Georgia. Her story brings together a lifelong passion for automobiles, the courage to begin living openly as a woman after decades of inner struggle, and a fight against workplace discrimination that would become significant in the history of transgender employment rights. Born in Texas, Chavez recalled knowing from the age of four that she was different, although it took many years before she could fully understand and express her identity. She attempted to transition as a teenager, moving to Los Angeles, but the obstacles she encountered prevented her from pursuing that path at the time. She eventually became a mother to her son, Cody, whom she described as the greatest gift of her life. At 51, after decades of concealing her feelings, she finally began her gender transition. She completed the process, including gender-affirming surgery, in just eleven months. Telling her son was the most difficult part of the journey, as they had always shared an exceptionally close relationship. Chavez had built a long and successful career as a certified master automotive technician, working in an industry traditionally dominated by men. In 2008, she joined Credit Nation Auto Sales in Austell, Georgia. When she informed her employer of her plans to transition in October 2009, her immediate supervisors initially appeared supportive.

 

However, she later described a deteriorating working environment, including objections to her discussions of transition and her feminine attire. In January 2010, she was dismissed after falling asleep in a car while waiting for delayed parts. Chavez believed that the hostility surrounding her transition had contributed to her dismissal and challenged the circumstances in which she had lost her job. The employment dispute had serious financial consequences. Chavez described difficulties obtaining unemployment benefits, being required to repay benefits she had received, and struggling to find another steady position in her profession. Her experience illustrates the vulnerability of transgender workers in the absence of clear and effective legal protections against discrimination. That is why she advocates changes to employment law, including the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). She believes that legal reform and public education are essential to improving the lives of transgender people. Chavez also became an advocate for greater transgender visibility. She appeared with her son on The Dr. Oz Show in 2012, an experience she valued because other families subsequently told her that their appearance had helped them better understand and cope with gender transition.

Interview with Rebecca Root

 

Rebecca Root, a British actress, stand-up comedian, and voice and speech teacher, was born in Woking, Surrey, England. She spent her early childhood there before her family moved to rural Oxfordshire when she was eleven. She attended Bartholomew School in Eynsham and developed an interest in acting through local drama groups and the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. After completing her sixth-form education in 1987, she moved to London to train at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Root subsequently spent approximately a decade working as an actress in television and theatre. Her early television appearances included the popular British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances and the medical drama Casualty. Her theatrical work included productions of The Lady's Not for Burning, Hamlet, and Tartuffe. Although she gained professional experience across a range of productions, she eventually found that opportunities in acting had become more difficult to obtain following her transition. In 2003, Root transitioned from male to female. She later pursued a new professional direction by studying voice at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where she earned a Master of Arts in Voice Studies in 2012. Combining her academic training with her acting experience, she developed a career as a voice and speech coach, helping transgender people find voices that felt authentic to their gender identities. 

 

Her work reflected an understanding that voice is an important aspect of personal expression and how people are perceived by others. Root also explored the subject through writing and research. In 2009, she published an article entitled There and Back Again: Adventures in Genderland in the journal Voice and Speech Review. Her professional interests brought together acting, vocal technique, gender, and the practical challenges faced by transgender people seeking a voice that better reflected who they were. In August 2014, the BBC commissioned Boy Meets Girl, a romantic sitcom centred on Judy, a transgender woman in her forties who begins a relationship with a younger man. Root was selected to play the leading role, marking a significant opportunity for a transgender actress to portray a transgender character in a major British television comedy. The commission attracted attention because transgender actors had long faced limited opportunities to play substantial, authentic roles on screen. For Root, the project offers the prospect of combining her acting talents with a story featuring a transgender woman at its centre. Her growing recognition is also reflected in the wider discussion about transgender representation in British entertainment. Root has been emerging as an actress whose experience, professional training, and commitment to vocal work gave her a distinctive place in the industry.

Interview with Denise Brogan-Kator

Denise Brogan-Kator is an American attorney, transgender activist, and businesswoman who became a prominent advocate for LGBT equality and legal protections for transgender people and same-sex families. A veteran of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, she served as Executive Director of Equality Michigan, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization, before joining the Family Equality Council in 2012 as Senior Legislative Counsel. She previously co-founded the Rainbow Law Center with her wife, Mary Kator, to provide legal services to LGBT individuals and families in southeastern Michigan. Brogan-Kator was the first openly transgender student to attend the University of Michigan Law School, graduating in 2006, and later became involved in teaching LGBT law. Her work has focused on combating discrimination, advancing equal rights, and ensuring that LGBT families receive fair treatment under the law.

 

Born in 1954, Brogan-Kator began her professional career in business and finance, earning an accounting degree, becoming a certified public accountant, and obtaining an MBA from the University of Colorado. Her life took a new direction in the 1990s, when she began living openly as a transgender woman. Despite her strong professional record, she lost several jobs after employers discovered her transgender identity, experiences that deepened her commitment to fighting discrimination. At the age of 49, she entered the University of Michigan Law School in 2004, becoming its first openly transgender student. After graduating in 2006 and passing the Michigan bar examination in 2007, she and her wife established the Rainbow Law Center. She subsequently played an important role in Michigan's LGBT rights movement, serving as chair of the Triangle Foundation's board and helping bring about its merger with Michigan Equality to form Equality Michigan. She became the organization's executive director in 2010. In 2012, she joined the Family Equality Council, where she worked to advance legal protections for LGBT families at the state and national levels. A respected speaker and advocate, Brogan-Kator has drawn on her experiences as a transgender woman, attorney, and former business executive to promote equality, dignity, and fair treatment under the law.

Interview with Felicia Elizondo

Felicia Elizondo, also known as Felicia Flames, is an American transgender activist who devoted much of her life to advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. Born in San Angelo, Texas, she experienced bullying, sexual abuse, and difficulties related to her gender identity from an early age. Her father, who worked as a sheepherder, died when she was three years old. By the age of five, she already knew she was different. At fourteen, she moved to San Jose, California, with a gay man and began spending time in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighbourhood as a teenager. At eighteen, Elizondo joined the United States Navy and volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War, hoping that military life would either lead to her death or help her reconcile with her gender identity. As she later recalled, she thought, “If the military doesn’t make me a man, nothing will.” After six months in Vietnam, she disclosed that she was gay. She was subsequently interrogated by the FBI and dishonourably discharged in 1965, although she later successfully petitioned to have her discharge upgraded to an honourable one. During the 1960s, Elizondo became a regular at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. In August 1966, she was present during the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, a landmark uprising by transgender people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community against police harassment, which took place three years before the Stonewall riots in New York City.

 

Her experiences became part of the historical record through Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria, a 2005 documentary co-directed and produced by Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman. In 1974, while working as a long-distance telephone operator, Elizondo transitioned to living as a woman. Throughout her life, she worked in a variety of occupations, including receptionist, clerk, nurse’s aide, and sex worker. She also performed as a drag queen at charity events and in gay clubs under the stage name Felicia Flames. Diagnosed with HIV in 1987, Elizondo became involved with several nonprofit organisations supporting people living with serious illnesses, including P.A.W.S., the Shanti Project, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. She contributed panels to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, creating approximately 80 panels in memory of people who had died of AIDS, and helped raise funds for organisations such as Project Open Hand and the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. As a Latina transgender woman, she also worked alongside other transgender women of colour to challenge racism within the LGBTQ+ community. Through her activism, charitable work, performances, and efforts to preserve transgender history, Elizondo has become an important figure in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality and recognition.

Interview with Gia Versace

Gia Versace is a celebrated American entertainer, showgirl, and transgender beauty pageant queen, known for her vibrant presence in Hawaii's LGBTQ+ performance scene. Born and raised in Kaneohe on the windward side of Oahu, Gia discovered her passion for the stage during a high school drama class. Her aspirations crystallized after attending her first drag show at the nightclub Venus, now known as Bar 7. Over the years, Gia has showcased her talents at various venues and fundraisers, including performances at Venus and Fusions Waikiki, home to Hawaii's longest-running female impersonation shows. Her dedication to the art of performance and her community has earned her prestigious titles such as National Showgirl Goddess 2013 and Queen of Queens 2012.

 

Gia's journey has been influenced by the trailblazing transgender women who came before her, particularly the "Aunties" in her community who paved the way for greater acceptance and visibility. While she acknowledges the progress made in societal acceptance of transgender individuals, she emphasizes that there is still work to be done. Beyond the stage, Gia is passionate about fashion, drawing inspiration from designers like Versace and Dior. She believes in the power of inner beauty and strives to embody this in her daily life. Gia values love deeply, not only in romantic relationships but also in the bonds shared with friends and family. Looking ahead, Gia is committed to achieving her lifelong goals and continues to share her experiences to inspire and support the younger generation of transgender individuals.

Interview with Lora G

 

Lora G is a Hollywood, California-based composer, guitarist, and keyboardist, best known as the co-founder of the rock band Lunden Reign. Her musical journey began at the age of 13, when she started performing in Orange County, California. By the age of 16, she was already playing on Hollywood’s famous Sunset Strip, and during her high school years, her drummer was Matt Sorum, who would later become known for his work with Guns N’ Roses, The Cult, and Velvet Revolver. At 18, Lora had the opportunity to contribute to the search for guitar sounds for Stevie Wonder’s album Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Although she left music at 19 to attend college, she eventually built an Emmy-winning career in television and radio, including more than 14 years working for Disney. After rediscovering her passion for music, she returned to performing, first forming Blind Dog Wanders and later the Lora G Band. In 2013, Lora met singer-songwriter Nikki Lunden when Nikki opened for her band at a club in Los Angeles. Impressed by Nikki’s powerful vocals, original songs, and guitar playing, the two soon joined forces to create a new musical partnership. 

 

While recording at Abbey Road Studios in London, they chose the name Lunden Reign for their band. They describe their distinctive sound as “Big Beat Progressive Rock,” combining energetic rhythms, memorable guitar riffs, and melodic arrangements with thoughtful lyrics. For Lora, songwriting is much more than a musical pursuit: it is a form of therapy and a way to give meaning to difficult life experiences. She places particular emphasis on lyrics, believing that every song should have its own life, message, and purpose. As a Mexican-American transgender woman, Lora has faced prejudice and intolerance, experiences that have influenced both her music and her commitment to social justice. Her involvement in activism began in childhood, when her family participated in the Chicano Movement, which fought for the civil rights of Mexican Americans during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She later continued advocating for equality and became actively involved in the LGBT community, including lobbying Congress in Washington, D.C., in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Lunden Reign has also performed at LGBT community events and Pride festivals, using music to support causes close to her heart. Lora believes that transgender rights are not a distant frontier of human rights but an urgent issue of the present.

Interview with Helen Belcher

Helen Belcher is a British trans rights campaigner, software developer, and businesswoman who became involved in efforts to improve the representation of transgender people in the media and promote a better understanding of gender identity. As one of the founders of Trans Media Watch, she worked to challenge inaccurate, misleading, and harmful portrayals of trans people, while encouraging journalists and broadcasters to approach transgender issues with greater fairness, accuracy, and sensitivity. Through her campaigning, Helen seeks to ensure that transgender people are represented more responsibly in public life and that their experiences are not overshadowed by stereotypes or sensationalist reporting. Her commitment to this cause was already evident in 2012, when she gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry about the treatment of transgender people in the press. She understood that media representation was not simply a question of how people were portrayed in newspapers and on television, but also one that could influence public attitudes, shape political debate, and have real consequences for the everyday lives of transgender people. 

 

Her work also brought her into contact with policymakers, including through her membership of the UK Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity, where she contributed to discussions about transgender rights and the challenges facing the trans community. Alongside her campaigning, Helen has established a career in information technology, developing software and running her own company for ten years. Her professional experience in business and technology complements her work as an advocate, bringing another perspective to her efforts to promote change. Outside her professional and campaigning commitments, she is a wife and mother of two teenage children, a school governor, and a member of a local choir. Balancing family life, business, and advocacy, Helen demonstrates how a commitment to improving the lives of transgender people could extend beyond traditional activism and into the media, public policy, and wider society.