Interview with Dana Paige

Monika: Today I have invited Dana Paige, an American lady that documents her transition on social media. Hello Dana! Thank you for accepting my invitation. 

Dana: Thank you for asking!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Dana: Sure. I'm a 63 yrs old Trans Woman. I started my transition during the middle of the Covid shutdown in 2020. In some ways, that seclusion was helpful to me in my transition. I moved rather quickly, because within my first year of transition and starting HRT, I had multiple gender confirming surgeries. Yep, it was fast. For me it was like, the minute I knew my truth I thought to myself “I’m 60 years old and not getting any younger”, so I just took that leap of faith. That first year was very difficult as I think it is for most of us.

For me, my specific results and renewed sense of myself were totally worth the time, pain, and money… but going through that “eye of the needle” is humbling, to say the least.

Anyway, since then I have been posting about myself and my journey on Social Media sites like Reddit etc. and developed a following of people who are inspired to take the leap and/or to keep going at a later age as I did… and they give me a sense of purpose in return.

Interview with Barbara Marie Minney

It is not every day that you encounter a woman whose words can move mountains, whose journey carries the weight of generations, and whose courage unfolds line by line in verses both tender and unflinching. Barbara Marie Minney, a seventh-generation Appalachian and native of West Virginia, is one such woman. Now living in Tallmadge, Ohio, she is an award-winning poet, writer, speaker, teaching artist, and quiet activist. Her work has been featured in Politico, The Buckeye Flame, Gargoyle Magazine, The Gasconade Review, and numerous anthologies amplifying female and queer voices, including Woman Scream: The International Poetry Anthology of Female Voices. Barbara is the author of four powerful poetry collections, including If There’s No Heaven, winner of the 2020 Poetry Is Life Book Award. 

 

A retired attorney with a distinguished 36-year legal career, Barbara now devotes herself to writing poems that reflect her life as both a transgender woman and an Appalachian storyteller. Her voice, shaped by years of personal searching and spiritual resilience, is personal, raw, and deeply human. In today’s conversation, two women sit down, one a blogger and interviewer, the other a poet and quiet revolutionary. We talk about poetry, the long road to womanhood, the bittersweet aftermath of transition, and the tension of inhabiting identities that don’t always fit into simple categories. Barbara and I meet not just as interviewer and guest, but as sisters in experience, exchanging reflections that come only from living a truth that had to be fought for, sometimes silently, sometimes in verse, but always bravely. Let’s begin.

Interview with Alice

Monika: Today, I have the pleasure of talking to Alice, a Belgian trans woman, passionate blogger, and self-proclaimed geek. She’s a comics aficionado, a video game lover, and an adventurer who enjoys discovering new countries. But beyond her interests, Alice is also an inspiring figure in the online trans community. She has been openly documenting her transition on social media, sharing her journey with honesty, humor, and warmth. Through her posts, she not only expresses herself but also offers support and visibility to others who may be walking the same path. Alice, welcome to the interview!

Alice: Hi Monika! Glad to have the opportunity to do this!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alice: Of course! I started transitioning a bit more than two years ago and came out on my socials last year. On my Instagram, I love to share stuff that I like such as comics, video games, music, films, and my travels (I love discovering new countries). But I also use this platform as a way to document my journey as a trans woman.

Interview with Anatasia Loyd

Monika: Anatasia Loyd is my lovely guest today. She is a Thai social media influencer, blogger, and businesswoman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Anatasia! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Anatasia: Hello Monika! I am excited to share a little story with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Anatasia: My name is Anatasia Loyd, but my friends call me (Asia) for short. I'm 36 years old, I am a Transgender woman and I live in Bangkok, Thailand.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Anatasia: As a transgender woman, I believe that our journey offers hope for us to become who we truly are without fear of pursuing our dreams and finding happiness. I share inspiring stories with the hope of encouraging others to be open to different opinions and comments. We have hope in knowing that we are not alone in our struggles and challenges to live authentically.

Interview with Emma Smith

Monika: Today let me introduce you to Emma Smith. Emma is a British journalist, podcaster, and trans woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Emma! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Emma: Thank you for asking me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Emma: I’m never any good at this bit. I’m 30 years old, I’m originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the north-east of England, and now I live in Manchester. I’ve worked for a whole bunch of newspapers and websites in the UK, and now I work for the BBC Sport website. Since joining in August I’ve written about everything from Premier League and WSL football to trans table tennis players and ice hockey teams. It has been fun.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Emma: I don’t actually share that much intimate stuff on social media, I like to keep private stuff private for the most part. The most intimate thing I ever shared was when I came out to the wider world as trans in November 2019, and that was more to get that out of the way more than anything else. Otherwise, I just share nice outfit pics on Instagram or stories I’ve written on Twitter. It means I, mostly, avoid the pointless arguments that can crop up.

Interview with Lea Aymard

Monika: My today’s guest is a Slovenian transgender rights activist. Lea Aymard is a Program Coordinator at Transfeminist Initiative TransAkcija Institute, an organization that provides support, empowerment, and alliance of transgender and gender non-conforming persons in Slovenia. It is the first and only non-governmental organization devoted specifically to the human rights of transgender persons in Slovenia. Hello Lea! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Lea: Thank you very much for the invitation! It’s an honor to have piqued your curiosity!

Monika: I am always eager to learn about how my sisters are doing in other countries. Is it challenging to be a transgender woman in Slovenia?

Lea: Yes, of course! Like anywhere else, trans people are heavily discriminated against in Slovenia. Slovenia is quite unique because of its very small size as a country, a very traditional and homogeneous society, but with a rich queer heritage.

Interview with TS Candii

Monika: TS Candii is my lovely guest today. TS Candii, also known as Kiyziah Vaughn, is an American transgender rights advocate, journalist, and writer. She is the founder of Black Trans Nation, a non-profit organization whose primary objective is to advocate, educate, and motivate the public to take collective action in support of the transgender community, with a particular focus on Black and POC individuals. In 2022, she published her memoir “Becoming TS Candii: My True Transgender Story“. Hello TS Candii! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

TS Candii: Hello Monika! Thank you so much for the kind invitation - it's a pleasure to be here. I look forward to talking today about my memoir, Black Trans Nation, and the importance of advocating for transgender rights.

Interview with Sara-Jane Cromwell

Sara-Jane Cromwell is a remarkable Irish author, educator, mentor, and life coach specializing in Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria. Based in the vibrant city of Cork, Sara-Jane has become an inspirational figure for those navigating the many challenges life can present. Her groundbreaking books, including Becoming Myself: The True Story of Thomas Who Became Sara, Wrong Body, Wrong Life: Living with Gender Identity Disorder in Ireland, and No Ordinary Life, chronicle her extraordinary journey of self-discovery, resilience, and advocacy. Growing up in a conservative suburb of Dublin during the 1960s, Sara-Jane faced immense adversity, from childhood bullying for being left-handed to profound family abuse, yet she transformed these experiences into a lifelong mission of education and empowerment. She has spent decades working to increase understanding of gender identity issues in Ireland, founding organizations, mentoring individuals, and advocating for policies such as the Gender Recognition Act of 2015.

 

Her work has opened doors for countless people struggling with their own identities and has helped transform the social landscape for gender-diverse individuals in Ireland. Sara-Jane’s approach emphasizes living authentically, exercising self-awareness, and fostering understanding in others, reflecting a philosophy that personal growth and societal change go hand in hand. Beyond her professional achievements, Sara-Jane’s story is one of courage, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of authenticity. She continues to inspire countless people by showing that embracing one’s true self, even in the face of rejection, trauma, and societal obstacles, can be both empowering and transformative. Her life exemplifies how dedication, resilience, and compassion can create meaningful change not only for oneself but also for the wider community.