Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Alexandria Krause, a young American video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Alexandria!
Alexandria: Hello Monika!
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Alexandria: I’m Alexandria or Lexi whichever you prefer, I make YouTube videos and Vlogs as a hobby, and recently I started up my own blog on Blogger.
Monika: Your vlog is very popular. You answer many questions about your transition. What has been the strangest question that you have ever answered?
Alexandria: That’s a tough question lol. The majority of comments are very positive and supportive. I guess I could narrow that down to two comments.
1. Will you have sex with me.
2. Why don’t you become a model.
I think to me the second is more strange because I’ve never thought of being pretty enough to model. I have issues with body image sometimes.
Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?
Alexandria: Honestly I didn’t expect anyone to watch it let alone see it, I made my transition video so that I could reflect and see how far I’ve made it on HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), but it took off and ended up getting a ton of views and a lot of likes and very positive comment.
Monika: At which stage of the transition are you right now?
Alexandria: I believe I am around 6 or 7 months in on HRT.
Monika: Are you satisfied with the results of the hormone therapy?
Alexandria: More than satisfied! There are no words to express how happy I am with it.
Monika: Which aspects of your experience could be used by other transgender women planning their transitions?
Alexandria: I guess if people could take away one thing from my story it’s this, when I was younger I always wanted to be a girl but because of social norms I thought it was taboo and not possible. So why doesn’t everyone learn to not assign gender roles so that it’s not taboo anymore and we can get a head start of giving young trans persons medical options like HRT or therapy.
Monika: At what age did you transition into a woman yourself? Was it a difficult process?
Alexandria: I think you are asking when did I start seeing myself as a woman and actively making changes to the way I dress and act. I was age 18 when I started transitioning socially.
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| Just a selfie. |
Monika: At that time of your transition, did you have any transgender role models that you followed?
Alexandria: The only role model I followed was PRINCESSJULES on YouTube, she made many great videos including some fashion choices and general tips for trans girls and women.
Monika: Are there are any transgender ladies that you admire and respect now?
Alexandria: Unfortunately no, but the closest person to that would be Laverne Cox from the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
I will add one more thing to this, I wish Caitlyn Jenner was smarter about her political affiliations and statements, she has brought attention to trans issues, which is GREAT, but she also endorses Ted Cruz and other Republicans who say it should be illegal for a trans person to use the bathroom of which gender they align, which is horrible for trans rights as you would imagine.
Monika: What was the hardest thing about your coming out?
Alexandria: The hardest thing about coming out was coming out to my mom, I don’t know why that was the hardest since I knew she would support me but yeah.
Monika: What do you think about transgender stories or characters which have been featured in films, newspapers, or books so far?
Alexandria: Transparent was really good, Orange is the New Black is great too, but my favorite was Hit & Miss.
Monika: The transgender cause is usually manifested together with the other LGBT communities. Being the last letter in this abbreviation, is the transgender community able to promote its own cause within the LGBT group?
Alexandria: I think so, but there really hasn’t been much done about raising awareness and such which is disappointing.
Monika: Are you active in politics? Do you participate in any lobbying campaigns? Do you think transgender women can make a difference in politics?
Alexandria: I like politics I try to stay on top of issues and current events, oddly enough since I started hormones it’s been harder for me to talk about politics with people I guess because I’m less aggressive? Maybe? I am not sure but I am less confrontational.
Monika: Do you like fashion? What kind of outfits do you usually wear? Any special fashion designs, colors, or trends?
Alexandria: I definitely have a unique style but I don’t think I can say I love fashion, I don’t keep up with that sort of thing. I normally see something and am like “I MUST HAVE THIS” or “f**k that!” meaning I either love it or hate it, I am very hot and cold.
Monika: What do you think about transgender beauty pageants?
Alexandria: I am not against them but I would like to see transgender people integrated into other pageants too, I am not saying to get rid of trans pageants but I would like to see us be accepted into other places too.
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| Another selfie. |
Monika: Could you tell me about the importance of love in your life?
Alexandria: Oh gosh that’s a tough one for me haha. I have been looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend for ages. I have met a couple of guys recently but they only seemed interested in sex.
Monika: Many transgender ladies write their memoirs. Have you ever thought about writing such a book yourself?
Alexandria: Actually I haven’t but that’s not a bad idea now that you mention it.
Monika: Are you working on any new projects now?
Alexandria: Actually yes! I just started a blog about 2 days ago, it’s got around 200 views in 2 days so that’s awesome and I love it. If people would subscribe to it that would be amazing! Also, I have started a google+ community that is especially for trans and trans-friendly people to join and communicate!
Monika: What would you recommend to all transgender girls struggling with gender dysphoria?
Alexandria: Find someone you can rely on to be there for you whenever you need it, whether it’s a parent or a friend or grandparent. In addition, consider making your own Blog to write things out, that helps me when I’m bogged down. Maybe consider going to a Psychologist that specializes in gender, that’s what I am doing.
Monika: Alexandria, thank you for the interview!
Googe+ Community: http://tinyurl.com/jrzvoas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexAWOL
YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/jmuzan3
Blogger: http://transgendergamer.blogspot.com/
Email for Trans people who need someone to talk to: AlexandriaKrause95@yahoo.com
All the photos: courtesy of Alexandria Krause.
© 2016 - Monika Kowalska
