Monika: Was there anything in particular that inspired you while you were deciding to transition?
Lenka: When I was starting my transition, I was also very touched by the video about Caitlyn Jenner, screened at
the ESPY Arthur Ash Award, although today I disagree with some of Caitlyn's views, the video was inspiring.
At that time, near my residence, there was a supermarket where an elderly trans woman worked. I remember my
ex-wife having an ugly comment about her. I never addressed the lady there.
Monika: And when did you first personally meet a transgender person?
Lenka: Then when I was deciding to transition, I saw another trans woman in a tram, and she seemed so scared. I
could definitely meet trans people I didn't know about and I don't know about it. But I started the transition
without knowing anyone trans personally - not even on social media. I had started the social transition about 5
months before HRT. It wasn't until I was taking hormones for two months that I began to show very strong emotions.
I was crying all day. And that was the moment when I decided to go to the Transparent Therapeutic Support Group
(I'm in its management today). And that's where I first met some trans people in person.
Monika: Do you have a transgender role model you look up to?
Lenka: I absolutely admire Natalie Wynn, who produces the YouTube show Contrapoints. In my eyes, she is so perfect
in every way that it completely overshadows other publicly known YouTubers and personalities. She is funny, smart,
educated, and beautiful.
Monika: What do you think about the current situation of transgender women in your country?
Lenka: I think the main problem that contributes to all other problems is sexualization. That transgender is seen
in the eyes of the public as something sexual or sex-related. These stereotypes, which have long been (and
probably unknowingly) pushed by the Czech media, which uncritically borrowed it from the local sexologists, have
been reflected, for example, in legislation where we are one of the last countries in Europe to require castration
for official gender reassignment. I try to fight against this stereotype that absolutely all trans people desire
surgery.
Monika: What role do sexologists play in all of this?
Lenka: In addition to sexualization, the issue is that Czech sexologists solve our problems in a purely
historical, traditional, and dogmatic way. There is a desperate shortage of them. There are absolutely great
specialists among them, such as Dr. Petra Vrzáčková, but there are also really bad among them, who just polish
their ego and create obstacles for trans people and clearly harm them. The worst what they require are real-life
tests before HRT and plethysmograph examination, where they show real child porn videos to innocent people and
also force their clients to undress and then touch them under the pretext of diagnosis.
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| Nela and Lenka. |
Monika: And how are trans women received by society in general?
Lenka: As for the perception of trans women in society, it is very diverse. It depends on many factors, on what
type of environment, family, job, friends she has and what social status she belongs to. I know a lot of trans
people in the Czech Republic. Some have a completely comfortable life and others experience hell on earth. This
isn't exactly generalizable.
Monika: Do you like fashion? What kind of clothes do you usually wear, do you have any favorite colors or style?
Lenka: I love fashion. I basically only wear dresses, and in winter I put a warm sweater on top. I like timeless
feminine elegance. I would never go outside in sportswear.
Monika: Do you ever experiment with your makeup?
Lenka: Definitely not. When I started the transition, I found a makeup artist who works in the largest TV station
in the Czech Republic. She taught me everything and advised me what would suit me best - what colors and products.
Since then, I do it the way she taught me - I just adjusted it a little bit after the hormones modified my face.
When I am in front of the camera, I put full makeup on, when I just go out, I use just eyelines, mascara,
eyebrows, and lipstick. I just never go out with no makeup on. But I'm not experimenting or trying anything new
really.
Monika: And do you like it when someone compliments your looks?
Lenka: Well, that's clear! And I get a lot of praise. Due to my age, I didn't expect at all that I could look
really feminine, and the fact that I get so much praise, that's still a bit unbelievable for me.
Monika: What would you advise trans women who are looking for a job?
Lenka: That's a good question, because I'm in the process of looking for a job right now, so I've had a lot of
interviews in recent weeks, and now it looks like I'm finally going to sign a contract with an American
company.
I must say that all the interviews went very smoothly and correctly. Only in a few cases did I say that I was a
trans woman when they asked me what I like to do in my free time, so I mentioned my activism.
Monika: What's the situation with officially changing your name and gender on documents where you live?
Lenka: In my country, it is not possible to officially change the gender in documents without surgery, and it is
not even possible to change your name to a female one without surgery. The state only allows a neutral name (like
Alex, for example), but with that name, you completely shout to the world that you are trans. I did not change my
name at all (on one hand I am a rebel and on the other hand I am lazy) and so I still have my original male name
on my ID card. But everywhere I appear under the new name - from a legal point of view, it is a pseudonym.
Many girls in the same situation feel that they have to state their official names in their CVs. I don't know if
there is a law, but in practice, nobody cares. "Lenka Králová" was everywhere in my CV and on LinkedIn. There is
no reason at all to show that I am trans and communicate my official name to them until the contract is to be
signed. Then of course it's necessary to tell them. But at that moment, employers already want you, so they
consider it a formality. So that's my advice - there's no need to write your official name on your resume, it's
useless.
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| V tranzu on YouTube . |
Monika: Does that advice apply equally to all trans women, in your opinion?
Lenka: Otherwise, I find it even more important to emphasize that I am in a very different situation from many
other girls - I am a software developer with more than twenty years of experience, perfect English, and various
special skills.
Monika: Are you involved in the local LGBTQI+ community in any way?
Lenka: I am a member of the board of the Transparent association, where we mainly organize events for trans people
in summer - various trips and picnics. I like to participate in them. I also work closely with Prague Pride, which
is the most important LGBTQI+ organization in the Czech Republic - there I usually work as a discussion moderator.
I also gave speeches at several demonstrations.
But I probably got into the LGBTQI+ life mainly by becoming such a media face - I already had a lot of interviews
in magazines and TV stations. Just last week, Filip Titlbach, the author of the podcasts of Deník N, published a
book called "We have always been here" (Byli jsme tu vždycky), which is a set of 13 interviews with LGBTQI+
personalities about life in the Czech Republic, and I had the honor of being one of those addressed. It is already
certain that the book will have to be reprinted.
Monika: A lot of transgender women write memoirs. Have you ever thought about writing a book yourself?
Lenka: I even started writing. But it was conceived a little differently, as a story rather than a memory. But
then I started doing my YouTube vlog and focused on letting other people tell their stories - and more often
people who would never get to present their own story publicly. Somehow I lost the desire to continue writing.
Maybe I'll come back to that someday.
Monika: What would you recommend to transgender women who are afraid of transitioning?
Lenka: I know that these fears of transition are very diverse, and it's hard to come up with a one-size-fits-all
solution. Self-confidence always works great, but few people have that among trans people and you can't just get
it on command. Anyway, try to realize that you are the only one important in your own life. Other people's
opinions are irrelevant and you don't have to take them into account, even if they are your parents or loved ones.
Don't pay attention to others, take care of yourself - this is often the only way to be happy in life. Life has
been given to you as a gift, and if you prefer other people's satisfaction to your own happiness, it's as if you
don't value that great gift. They will tell you that you are selfish, but those are their words. In fact, they are
the ones who are selfish, because they don't want to let you live your life.
I understand this huge fear. Sometimes it is necessary to break ties, especially in the case of parents, it is not
an easy decision. However, I had a problem in my environment only with my wife, with whom it has already settled.
Everyone comes from a different environment and background, it's hard to come up with some universal advice.
Monika: Lenka, it was a pleasure talking with you. Thank you!
Lenka: It was a great honor for me. I didn't know your blog, but I've already looked at it and I'm overwhelmed. We
actually do the same thing, I just have it in the form of videos and only in the Czech language, yours is text and
international. I keep my fingers crossed for your project in the future and I hope to meet you in person someday!
Thank you!
END OF PART 2
Main photo: @
annahrabakova
All photos: courtesy of Lenka Králová.
© 2022 - Monika Kowalska
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