Interview with Jessica Janiuk - Part 2

Monika: What do you enjoy most in being a woman?

Jessica: Aside from the peace and harmony of self, I’d say in general, people are nicer to me. People smile at me more. I get more doors opened for me. There’s more color in my life too. Oh, and I like the fact that I’m no longer introverted! Now that the real me is present all the time, I no longer keep to myself... for better or worse. Haha!

Monika: Are you a feminist?

Jessica: Most definitely.

Monika: Do you intend to get married one day?

Jessica: I’m actually engaged. So, yes I do intend to get married.

Monika: Do you date men or women?

Jessica: I identify as a lesbian. So, I date women.

At the Boar's Head SCA Event.

Monika: What is your general view on the present situation of transgender women in American society?

Jessica: We’ve got a long way to go. The T in the LGBT community is often left behind. We’re the first thing dropped from proposed legislation if things get difficult. The LGB community often sidelines us.
I’d say we’re 15 years behind the progress of the LGB movement. We lack a cohesive leadership group, like HRC, to help move us forward too. Hopefully, that’ll change in the near future.

Monika: We are witnessing more and more transgender ladies coming out. Unlike in the previous years, some of them have the status of celebrities or are really well-known, just to mention Lana Wachowski in film-directing, Jenna Talackova in modeling, Kate Bornstein in academic life, Laura Jane Grace in music or Candis Cayne in acting. Do you think we will have more and more such women? 

Jessica: Oh absolutely. As with 15 years ago, we saw more and more gays and lesbians come out. That’ll happen with the trans community as well. We’ll see more trans public figures, and it’s going to help us achieve some of the same levels of acceptance that the rest of the LGBT community has achieved.

Monika: At the same time sometimes we get horrible news about transgender women being killed or beaten just as in the infamous case of Chrissy Polis that was beaten by two teenagers in Macdonald’s because she used the ladies’ toilet. How can we prevent it?

Jessica: The Batman. Definitely the Batman. Seriously though, it’s going to take a lot of education. We need well-educated, charismatic trans people, with good stories to tell, out there giving talks, making films, and just being awesome. Education and knowledge is the champion over ignorance. Ignorance is what causes violence. I am certain that if those teenagers were armed with the knowledge of what it means to be trans, that violence wouldn’t have happened.

With her camera on a photo walk.

Monika: Do you think that in our lifetime we could live to the day when a transgender lady could become the President of the USA?

Jessica: I would like to think it would be possible in my lifetime, but I don’t think it’ll happen while I’m alive.
I think it’s possible we’ll see a gay or lesbian president. That said, we haven’t seen a female president yet. So that’s why I’m less optimistic about a trans president.

Monika: You are interested in aviation. How do you pursue this hobby?

Jessica: I certainly am interested in aviation! In fact, I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer when I was growing up. Couldn’t make it through calculus though... largely due to the depression I talked about. 
Anyway, I go to air shows here and there. I’m a hobby photographer, and I love to photograph airplanes. I also travel a lot, which puts me on planes more frequently than I ever thought I’d be on them. Maybe someday I’ll get that pilot’s license I always wanted to get. We’ll see. Maybe once I’m independently wealthy. Ha!

Monika: Your other hobby is music. Do you play any instrument? What kind of music are you into?

Jessica: When I was in grade school, I played the trombone, and I got quite good at it. I actually debated majoring in music in college. I ended up taking a lot of music classes in college for the fun of it. Now it’s more of an interest than a hobby. I haven’t picked up my trombone in years, but I do miss it.
I like a lot of different kinds of music. I really love classical music, movie scores, video game scores, jazz, rock, pop, folk, celtic, and gosh...a lot of different kinds of music. My favorite composers are probably Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, and John Williams. I’m also a big fan of Queen, Heart, and Loreena McKennitt.

With her camera in a studio.

Monika: Many transgender ladies write their memoirs. Have you ever thought about writing such a book yourself?

Jessica: Many, many times. I’m not sure if it’ll ever happen, but many people have told me I should. I’ve been toying with the idea of going on a speaking tour too. Maybe I’ll write a book around that.

Monika: Do you like fashion? What kind of outfits do you usually wear? Any special fashion designs, colors, or trends?

Jessica: I do like fashion, but I’m also a bit lazy when it comes to fashion. I work from home. So I typically am just in jeans, tees, and hoodies...really, whatever is comfy. I’m a huge nerd. So I wear a lot of nerdy garbs. My partner has described my fashion sense as “Geek Chic”. So, there you go.

Monika: Are you involved in the life of your local LGBT community?

Jessica: Not yet. We just moved across the country for my partner’s job. I used to be involved in Wisconsin, but here in El Paso, Texas, I’m still getting the lay of the land. 
I’m hoping to do some new website work and I mentioned a speaking tour earlier. So we’ll see what happens. I do mentor young trans folk that are sent my way, and I’ve toyed with starting up a Google Plus community for mentoring trans youth. So, if anyone needs someone to answer questions, I’m happy to do so.

Monika: Jessica, it was a pleasure to interview you.

Jessica: Thanks a lot! No, no, no. thank YOU for interviewing me! I’m on Google Plus, Twitter, and Facebook. I’m totally friendly and not scary at all. Please feel free to circle, tweet, and friend me. I’m more than willing to chat with anyone that wants to talk.

All the photos: courtesy of Jessica Janiuk.

© 2013 - Monika Kowalska

For more info on transgender biographies, visit TRANSGENDER BIOGRAPHIES.