Monika: Antonia Monopoli is my special guest today. She is a transgender activist, writer, YouTube video creator, and Italian stage actress. For years, she has been in charge of the Trans Desk at the Ala Association, an Italian organization that focuses on health protection, social inclusion, anti-discrimination, and cooperation both nationally and internationally. She is the author of “La Forza di Antonia: Storia di una persona transgender.” Hi Antonia! Thank you for accepting my invitation.
Antonia: Thank you for choosing me for this interview. It's an honor and a pleasure to be interviewed by you.
Monika: Many of us, myself included, live the lives of wives, mothers, and daughters, trying to forget our past. You decided to be an advocate for transgender rights and express our positive image in society. Have you ever felt tempted to hide your past and be just a woman, rather than a transgender woman?
Antonia: I think I hid myself for too long, and at a certain point in my life, exactly in 2002, I decided not to hide anymore. I chose to live my life in the light, not in the shadows, facing whatever life threw at me and trying to be an example for other transgender people. I hope I succeeded.
