Sarafina Maraschino is a multifaceted individual whose journey encompasses military service, legal advocacy, musical innovation, and activism within the transgender community. Sarafina pursued higher education at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in History. She furthered her academic credentials by obtaining a Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Sarafina's commitment to public service is evident through her 20 years of federal service. She served six years in the U.S. Air Force, followed by fourteen years in the Office of Counsel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District. In her role as the District’s Tribal Liaison, she developed partnerships between her agency and Indian tribes in Northern California, particularly in the Klamath Basin, focusing on ecosystem restoration, watershed assessment, and water infrastructure.
Beyond her governmental roles, Sarafina is a founding member of Lipstick Conspiracy, San Francisco’s all-transwomen rock band. The band gained prominence in the early 2000s, performing original music that blended elements of glam rock and pop. Their performances were celebrated for challenging societal norms and providing visibility to transgender artists. After a hiatus of nearly 13 years, Lipstick Conspiracy reunited 2023, in part as a "joyful antidote" to the escalation of transphobia and anti-LGBTQ laws across the USA. Sarafina's work extends beyond music and public service; she is a dedicated advocate for transgender rights and visibility. Through her artistry and professional endeavors, she continues to challenge societal norms and promote inclusivity. Sarafina Maraschino's life is a testament to resilience, creativity, and advocacy, reflecting her unwavering commitment to fostering understanding and acceptance within and beyond the transgender community.
Monika: Sarafina, it’s an honor to have you here. Your career is beyond impressive, military service, legal work, and fronting a rock band. With all that experience, what’s been more unpredictable, rock concerts, government work, or being trans in America?
Sarafina: Thank you, Monika! And thank you for having me. I applaud your efforts to curate our stories and I’m delighted to be a part of this. What’s been more unpredictable? My goodness, I think it’s all quite cyclical, actually. At various moments in my little timeline, I think that each of these aspects have qualified as ‘most unpredictable’ in one form or another.
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| "I don’t believe that I’m a provocateur by nature." |
In my music days, we’ve had horrible performances like when the lights and sound went out at the Cat Club in Seattle followed by an extraordinary performance at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland the very next evening. Government work can be extremely rewarding and emotional, like repatriating ancestors back to tribes, while simultaneously being sluggish, monolithic, and bureaucratic.
And being a transwoman in America? I think it was easier years ago, when it was harder and newer. If that makes any sense. Today, it almost feels like we’re being punished for any perceived success.
Monika: I wanted to kick things off on a lighter note, but I can’t resist asking about your take on the current state of the US transgender community, especially for those who’ve served in the military. You once wrote these striking words: 'I've sworn two oaths to the Constitution of the United States. I'm a decorated war veteran. I have almost twenty years of federal service. I'm a transwoman. I'm an artist. You can have my dignity when you pry it from my cold dead fingers. You are welcome to test my resolve at your convenience.'
Sarafina: I don’t believe that I’m a provocateur by nature, but in this instance, I was compelled to say something following the deluge of anti-trans sentiments. I always find discourse in social media to feel constrained by the limits of attention and the corresponding energy required to stay the course in real time. I prefer to be declarative rather than reactive. I was vacillating between despair and resolve and chose the latter. Detransition is not an option. I can’t simply fade away.
Monika: I can’t help but wonder, why us? Why has the transgender community become such a concentrated target for attacks? Is it because we’re the smallest group within the LGBT+ community, making us an easier target, or do you think there’s something deeper at play?
Sarafina: I wrestle with this constantly but in the end, it feels as if our community, with respect to how the political spectrum responds to us, is a bit like the canary in the coal mine. Particularly: so-called political correctness, its intersection with dignity and indignity, and how social and political capital are leveraged for or against it. I fear that there is already evidence of the left giving up on us (as if we’ve been “given” too much), but fortunately, there is still plenty to suggest otherwise (Maine’s governor standing firm on trans athletes, for instance). The ebb and flow and the attendant stress that it produces for us is precisely the point.
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| Impromptu band photo session on 14 March 2010. Photo by Allison Palitz. |
Sarafina: I’m in total accord. I don’t believe it was an oversight. I think we’re seeing some of the sentiments change in real time. Even at the Grammies, it wasn’t empty platitudes calling for supporting the trans community, but I did wonder where were the trans musicians. However, that isn’t really a surprise, because there’s generally large support for veterans, but rarely support for trans veterans.
Monika: What made you decide to join the military?
Sarafina: I wanted to go to college. My whole life I was an honor student and in advanced placement courses, so I was a bit surprised to learn in high school that I was on my own for college and found myself woefully unprepared. The GI Bill was life-changing for me. As was the whole world-travelling and war thing. And, for the record, I transitioned ten years after getting out of the Air Force.
Monika: After your time in the military, you chose to support Indian tribes in Northern California. What sparked your interest in working with indigenous communities, particularly in the Klamath Basin?
Sarafina: Actually, there is quite a leap and a long career path missing in there which included college, work as an Internet project manager, transition, band, activism at the TGI Justice Project, and an eventual internship with the government. Indigenous communities have always been an interest of mine (I did undergrad in history).
On my path to law school, I received my paralegal certification at San Francisco State University and turned my internship into a federal career. To make a long story short, I pivoted to the Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law program at Tulsa Law in lieu of J.D. Not only was this a niche area of law, but it also aligned with my interests in activism and advocacy.
As for working with tribes in the Klamath, this has been an ongoing matter since 2017 while discussion was still underway for the removal of the dams on the Klamath. My work with the tribes ensured that my agency was poised to begin the restoration work once the dams were removed and federal funding was congressionally appropriated for the project.
Monika: Shifting to your role as an artist, Lipstick Conspiracy became a huge name in the Bay Area and much of the West Coast from its formation in 2003, especially after being featured in the award-winning film Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance. How was the band founded? Did you just meet Shawna Love and Marilyn Mitchell and think, 'Hey, let’s start a trans rock band,' or was there a bigger vision behind it?
Sarafina: Ah, yes. Always a good question. This one resurfaces every now and then. In essence, the formation was a result of Tori Tait getting in touch with me over email. There was a misunderstanding between us. She’s British and she said she was “starting a band.” I assumed this meant music, and so I told her all about my musical resume, to which she said “By band, she meant ‘a band of merry-makers’”, but by so chance she happened to be a musician, too. We met up, she brought her friend Marilyn, and a mutual friend introduced us to Shawna. The rest, they say, is history. The goal was to try to make something positive and productive.
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| "We never had a unified vision other than recognizing that we had stumbled onto something unique." |
Monika: Who came up with the name Lipstick Conspiracy?
Sarafina: That was me. It was the product of a very tired, almost dyslexia-inducing moment, while reading a history of cosmetics. Both words were in the same paragraph and just somehow jumped out at me. Total cliche as I sat up in bed thinking it was the perfect name! We had a few other competing names, but this one changed everything.
Monika: Your music has always stood apart from mainstream pop, it's raw, solid rock and roll, packed with grit and artistic depth. Was that the vision for Lipstick Conspiracy from the start, or did the band's sound take shape organically over time?
Sarafina: We never had a unified vision other than recognizing that we had stumbled onto something unique. Musically, the goal was really to do our own thing and to strive for original music rather than tributes or covers. Initially, we all brought some of our own songs to the table and began writing as a group. Our sound evolved based upon what worked on stage and what we appealed to our sensibilities. We’ve tried a lot of different things and our sound today likely sounds quite a bit different than how it began.
Monika: The A Perfect Alibi 2006 tour really showcased the band’s ability to create captivating music, but despite that, you didn’t break through to the mainstream, and you decided to stop the band after your last public performance in late 2010. Do you think the label of being a 'trans band' held you back from getting the fair publicity and recognition you deserved?
Sarafina: Good question. We always struggled with the specter of stereotyping despite success or recognition. In the early days, we confounded stereotypes and assumptions pretty quickly because we were proper musicians who could write, sing, and play. There was quite a bit of overlap between the queer performance community and the local music scene, and we became quite well-known and were frequently sought out. We did manage to break out in a variety of ways, particularly in the general press, and we generally saw acceptance on the West Coast.
A national tour was one of the goals to follow the Alibi tour along with proper management and label support, but we had internal disagreements based upon the conditions of the deal and creative differences. Ultimately, we opted for some lineup changes and a different management direction. By 2010, we stopped performing because of personal and career matters.
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| "In the early days, we confounded stereotypes and assumptions pretty quickly." |
Sarafina: That’s right. Stevin Luka, one of the promoters from the West Hollywood Queer Arts Festival, contacted us. He had worked with Madsen Minax, the filmmaker behind Riot Acts, and was rescreening the film for the festival. We were intrigued about the idea and contacted Steve Levy, our session drummer (who drummed for us on Alibi and partially joined for some of the tour gigs), and decided to see if we could pull it off in time.
After a few weeks of rehearsal, we decided to give it a go. We had discussed reforming a time or two over dinner and martinis, particularly after Covid, but timing to do so was rarely in our favor. The WeHo Festival proved to be perfect timing.
Monika: Where can we see Lipstick Conspiracy live these days? And do you have any plans to hit the studio for new recordings?
Sarafina: Lately, we’ve been developing new material on and off, in between work, vacation, and family commitments. I for one have been incredibly overwhelmed and preoccupied with work and Marilyn and Shawna have been patiently waiting for me. I probably shouldn’t let any cats out of any bags at this point. A new album has been discussed, but big tour plans were scrapped after the November election and the changing national sentiments. Please stay tuned!
END OF PART 1
All photos: courtesy of Sarafina Maraschino.
© 2025 - Monika Kowalska
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