Aleizah Morganna Martínez Bautista, also known as Morganna Love, is a Mexican opera singer, actress, and transgender activist whose life and career are inseparable from her journey of self-discovery. Born on June 15, 1980, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Morganna began singing at the age of four and was already drawn to performance, music, and feminine expression as a child. After years of inner conflict and bullying during her adolescence, she pursued formal music education, first studying at the Universidad de Guanajuato and later completing her opera training at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico, where she developed a strong foundation in vocal technique, music history, languages, piano, and harmony.
Initially performing while still presenting as male, Morganna eventually made the life-changing decision to transition, a process that led to rejection from her family and a period of living alone while singing in clubs and undergoing hormone therapy. In 2012, she represented Mexico at the Miss International Queen pageant in Thailand, hoping to fund her transition, and later that year underwent gender-affirming surgery, a deeply personal experience documented in the film Made in Bangkok released in 2015. Alongside her operatic career, Morganna has worked as an actress in film, television, and opera, and she uses her visibility to speak openly about transgender experiences, human rights, beauty, love, and resilience, proving that her voice resonates just as powerfully offstage as it does in performance.
Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to welcome Morganna Love, an inspirational opera diva, actress, beauty queen, and transgender activist from Mexico. Morganna, it’s wonderful to have you here.
Morganna: Hi, Monika! Thank you so much, it truly means a lot to me. I’m very happy to be interviewed by you.
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| Singing at Mexico Theater with pianist Luis Hernandez. |
Monika: Every artistic journey has a moment when everything suddenly becomes clear. Looking back, when did you first realize that opera, not just music, would be your path?
Morganna: When I was 18 years old, my parents took me to a concert in a church, and the choir was singing Allegri’s Miserere. I was completely in shock and instantly fell in love with the power and beauty of that music. In that very moment, I knew I wanted to become an opera singer. It felt like my soul finally recognized its own voice.
Morganna: When I was 18 years old, my parents took me to a concert in a church, and the choir was singing Allegri’s Miserere. I was completely in shock and instantly fell in love with the power and beauty of that music. In that very moment, I knew I wanted to become an opera singer. It felt like my soul finally recognized its own voice.
Monika: Your background suggests not only talent, but determination. Could you tell us a bit about the fight behind your solid musical education?
Morganna: I fought for what I wanted, and I always have. At that time, my goal was to become the best countertenor in Mexico, and for a while, I achieved that. I completed my opera studies at the National Music Conservatory, where I learned music history, languages, piano, sight-reading, harmony, and much more. That period shaped both my discipline and my confidence as an artist.
Monika: Opera often becomes more than a profession, it becomes a mirror of one’s inner life. Which roles have stayed with you the most, both professionally and personally?
Morganna: At the moment, I’m moving more toward pop music, but I have always loved opera and I will always sing it. I deeply love the role of Adina from Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” because she is beautiful, sensual, and proud, yet she discovers love and fights for it. Another role that gave me immense satisfaction was Queen Dido in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” a deeply dramatic opera full of magic, love, and friendship. These two roles allowed me to explore very different sides of myself.
Monika: Every artist stands on the shoulders of others. Whose voices have inspired you, or still inspire you, when it comes to opera?
Morganna: Of course, I have favorites. I deeply admire three Mexican sopranos: Fabiola Venegas, Alejandra García, and Penelope Luna. Internationally, I adore the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, and I also love Sarah Brightman. Each of them inspires me in a different way, both vocally and artistically.
Morganna: I fought for what I wanted, and I always have. At that time, my goal was to become the best countertenor in Mexico, and for a while, I achieved that. I completed my opera studies at the National Music Conservatory, where I learned music history, languages, piano, sight-reading, harmony, and much more. That period shaped both my discipline and my confidence as an artist.
Monika: Opera often becomes more than a profession, it becomes a mirror of one’s inner life. Which roles have stayed with you the most, both professionally and personally?
Morganna: At the moment, I’m moving more toward pop music, but I have always loved opera and I will always sing it. I deeply love the role of Adina from Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” because she is beautiful, sensual, and proud, yet she discovers love and fights for it. Another role that gave me immense satisfaction was Queen Dido in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” a deeply dramatic opera full of magic, love, and friendship. These two roles allowed me to explore very different sides of myself.
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| Getting ready for going out to the stage in Bangkok, Thailand. |
Morganna: Of course, I have favorites. I deeply admire three Mexican sopranos: Fabiola Venegas, Alejandra García, and Penelope Luna. Internationally, I adore the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, and I also love Sarah Brightman. Each of them inspires me in a different way, both vocally and artistically.
Monika: Opera divas are famous not only for their voices, but also for their love of spectacular dresses, bold make-up, and unforgettable hairdos. Is this glamorous side of opera something you personally enjoy?
Morganna: Yes, of course! Hahaha. It’s honestly one of my favorite things about being an opera singer. It allows me to express femininity, fantasy, and drama all at once.
Monika: Your creativity clearly goes beyond singing, and many people might not know this. You are also an actress, aren’t you?
Morganna: Yes, I’ve acted in films, television, and of course in opera productions. If you want to be an opera singer, you truly have to learn how to act. For me, acting is another way of telling emotional stories.
Monika: Being an artist already means living many lives on stage, but being a transgender artist adds another layer. How does your transgender experience shape the way you perform and interpret roles?
Morganna: Completely. When you are a transgender woman and you know it, you are acting all the time in front of your parents, family, friends, and society, until you finally allow yourself to be who you really are. Because of that, many of us learn to act very well, so when I take on a role, it feels natural to imagine another woman’s life and emotions. My own journey gives me a deeper emotional connection to every character.
Monika: Your success shows progress, yet reality is often more complex. How would you describe the current situation of transgender women in Mexican society today?
Morganna: There are two very different realities. On the positive side, some girls like me are working in what we love, people recognize our work, respect us, and give us opportunities. On the other side, the situation is terrible, with ongoing transphobia and the murder of transgender women. Still, I believe society is slowly changing its perspective, and I hope it continues to improve.
Morganna: Yes, of course! Hahaha. It’s honestly one of my favorite things about being an opera singer. It allows me to express femininity, fantasy, and drama all at once.
Monika: Your creativity clearly goes beyond singing, and many people might not know this. You are also an actress, aren’t you?
Morganna: Yes, I’ve acted in films, television, and of course in opera productions. If you want to be an opera singer, you truly have to learn how to act. For me, acting is another way of telling emotional stories.
Monika: Being an artist already means living many lives on stage, but being a transgender artist adds another layer. How does your transgender experience shape the way you perform and interpret roles?
Morganna: Completely. When you are a transgender woman and you know it, you are acting all the time in front of your parents, family, friends, and society, until you finally allow yourself to be who you really are. Because of that, many of us learn to act very well, so when I take on a role, it feels natural to imagine another woman’s life and emotions. My own journey gives me a deeper emotional connection to every character.
Monika: Your success shows progress, yet reality is often more complex. How would you describe the current situation of transgender women in Mexican society today?
Morganna: There are two very different realities. On the positive side, some girls like me are working in what we love, people recognize our work, respect us, and give us opportunities. On the other side, the situation is terrible, with ongoing transphobia and the murder of transgender women. Still, I believe society is slowly changing its perspective, and I hope it continues to improve.
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| Singing "Burlesque" at Club La Perla, in Mexico City. |
Monika: Your journey toward womanhood began very early, yet the actual transition came later. When did you transition, and how challenging was that period for you?
Morganna: I realized who I was when I was four years old, but I grew up in a city where there was no information about it. When I moved to Mexico City, I finally allowed myself to be free and began living as myself at the age of 28. It was easy for my friends, brothers, and my boss, but very difficult for my parents, who stopped speaking to me for two years. Slowly, they have begun to accept my decision and my happiness, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Monika: During that time, many people look for guidance or inspiration. Did you have any transgender role models you followed while transitioning?
Morganna: No, I didn’t have any transgender role models, and I was quite ignorant about them back then. I mostly thought, “Oh, I want to be as beautiful as Alessandra Ambrosio!” Hahaha. In a way, I had to invent my own path.
Monika: Coming out often brings both freedom and loss. Looking back, what was the hardest part of that experience for you?
Morganna: The hardest part was losing my love from my past life, who was a gay man, and losing my family for so many years. I missed family gatherings like Christmas and spent that time alone, sometimes even without enough money for food because I had to choose hormones instead. Today I can laugh about it, but it was incredibly difficult, and still, it was absolutely worth it.
Morganna: I realized who I was when I was four years old, but I grew up in a city where there was no information about it. When I moved to Mexico City, I finally allowed myself to be free and began living as myself at the age of 28. It was easy for my friends, brothers, and my boss, but very difficult for my parents, who stopped speaking to me for two years. Slowly, they have begun to accept my decision and my happiness, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Monika: During that time, many people look for guidance or inspiration. Did you have any transgender role models you followed while transitioning?
Morganna: No, I didn’t have any transgender role models, and I was quite ignorant about them back then. I mostly thought, “Oh, I want to be as beautiful as Alessandra Ambrosio!” Hahaha. In a way, I had to invent my own path.
Monika: Coming out often brings both freedom and loss. Looking back, what was the hardest part of that experience for you?
Morganna: The hardest part was losing my love from my past life, who was a gay man, and losing my family for so many years. I missed family gatherings like Christmas and spent that time alone, sometimes even without enough money for food because I had to choose hormones instead. Today I can laugh about it, but it was incredibly difficult, and still, it was absolutely worth it.
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| With Doctor Preecha Tiewtranon, who performed her SRS in Thailand. |
Monika: Visibility has changed a lot in recent years. When you see transgender stories and characters appearing in films, books, and the media, how do you feel about the way these stories are being told?
Morganna: I think these stories help people truly see us and say, “Hey, we are here.” They show that we are not urban legends, and yes, we are good people too. Representation gives us humanity in the public eye.
Morganna: I think these stories help people truly see us and say, “Hey, we are here.” They show that we are not urban legends, and yes, we are good people too. Representation gives us humanity in the public eye.
Monika: The transgender cause is often discussed within the broader LGBT movement, sometimes as its final letter. Do you feel the transgender community can fully express its own voice within this space?
Morganna: I have a very clear position on this topic. I believe we should step outside the community, not because we don’t support other sexual orientations, but because what truly matters is not WHAT you are, but WHO you are. If we keep separating and discriminating ourselves, it becomes harder for others to fully accept us.
Monika: Some transgender women choose political activism, others artistic visibility. Where do you see yourself, and do you believe transgender women can influence politics in their own way?
Morganna: I really don’t like politics; I am an artist, and that is what I love to do. I believe that when people enjoy my work, they don’t really care about what I am or who I was in a past life. However, I do participate as an ambassador for the UN campaign “Free and Equal,” which fights for human rights regardless of sexual orientation or financial situation.
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| On TV in Miss International Queen 2012. |
Monika: In 2012, you stepped into the world of beauty pageants and represented Mexico at Miss International Queen in Pattaya, Thailand. Looking back, how do you remember that experience?
Morganna: Hahaha, just thinking about it puts a big smile on my face. I entered the pageant to raise money for my SRS, even though I had never participated in a beauty contest before. Even without winning, it became one of the most fabulous experiences of my life, especially meeting so many beautiful women inside and out.
Monika: Some activists question transgender beauty pageants, saying they reinforce pressure around youth and appearance. How do you respond to that kind of criticism?
Morganna: Every girl who enters a beauty pageant has her own reasons for being there. Nobody has the right to judge anybody else’s choices. Respect is the most important value we should defend.
Monika: Beauty can be a form of power, but also a tool. Do you consciously use it as a source of empowerment?
Morganna: I believe beauty is very subjective. True beauty should come from within, not only from the face or body, but also from the mind and the soul. That is where real power lives, and yes, sometimes I do use it.
Monika: Love appears again and again in your story. What role does love play in your life today?
Morganna: Love is one of the most important things in my life. Not only romantic love, but also the love of family, friends, and my fans. Without love, none of my achievements would truly matter.
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| In her Mexican dress from Cesar D'Cortes and Francisco Trujillo. |
Monika: Many transgender women feel the urge to put their life stories into words. Have you ever considered writing your own memoir one day?
Morganna: Yes, maybe someday I will. I think my story could help others feel less alone.
Monika: Artists rarely stand still for long. Are you currently working on any new projects you can share with us?
Morganna: Yes, of course! As an artist, I am always working on new projects. I’ll tell you more about them very soon.
Monika: Finally, many transgender girls dream of a life and career like yours. What would you say to those who are just starting to believe in their dreams?
Morganna: Go for it! Go for your dreams, because they will give you freedom and happiness. Never let fear stop you from becoming yourself.
Monika: Morganna, thank you so much for this beautiful and honest conversation.
Morganna: Monika, thank you for everything. This is truly one of my favorite interviews, and I enjoyed it very much. Keep being beautiful inside and out, smart and sexy. Kisses and blessings, Morganna Love.
All the photos: courtesy of Morganna Love.
© 2015 - Monika Kowalska
Some documentaries with Morganna Love:
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