Interview with Niya

Monika: Today I have invited Niya, an American transgender woman who documents her transition on social media. Hello Niya!

Niya: Hi Monika, thank you so much for inviting me to do this!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Niya: My name is Niya and I'm a 26-year-old transgender woman. I started my transition at 18 and here I am now I guess.

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

Niya: I'm pretty much an open book, but I like to share a lot of myself on social media because it's not only good to show others the progress you can make, but to also keep track of it yourself. Transitioning can be a very daunting task, and I think seeing others succeed in their transition can drive you to do the same in yours.

Interview with Alison Tegan

Monika: Today I am talking to Alison Tegan, a South African beauty and health blogger from London, the United Kingdom, and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Alison!

Alison: Good Afternoon, Monika. Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you. As mentioned, I aim to become and beauty and health blogger.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alison: My name is Alison. I live in the UK, originally from South Africa. I am 50 years and came out trans on 5 April 2017. I dreamt of being a girl since the age of seven. I had no idea what was wrong with me and did not even know transgender people existed.

Interview with MikaelaVille

Monika: Today I have invited a special guest. Most of you know her as Mika or MikaelaVille - The Adorkable Girl Next Door. She is an American social media influencer, YouTube vlogger, parent, digital artist, gamer girl, and transgender advocate. Mika and I are going to talk about being trans and the challenges related to her parenthood and fascinating journey towards womanhood. Hello Mika!

Mika: Hi, thank you for having me. When I opened your message on Instagram and saw that you wanted to interview me, I couldn't be happier. Let me tell you, to open a DM and NOT see a stranger's genitalia is a real treat these days. So, I was honored and thrilled to receive your message.

Monika: Haha, so we have a nice introduction to our chat. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Mika: Oh wow, let's see. I'm 36 years old, which means I'm officially at that age where I can't get off a couch without grunting. I have 2 amazing kids who are quickly becoming more intelligent than me. I'm an Artist with a passion for creativity, and I've been a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service for the last 15 years. It's not my dream job, but it gets the bills paid. I've been on social media for the last 4 years, and I recently started a YouTube channel.

Interview with Kelly Denithorne

Monika: Today I am going to interview Kelly Denithorne, also known as Nadine Spirit, an American maths teacher, blogger, podcaster, transgender advocate, and happy wife that documents her transition on her blog called Unordinary Style. Hello Nadine!

Kelly: Hi Monika. Thank you so much for wanting to interview me. I super appreciate being included amongst so many other fabulous humans.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kelly: I chose to transition in the summer of 2017. My first few steps were to get a gender therapy specialist as well as my first hormone provider. I changed my hormones July 3rd, 2017. However I didn't actually socially and legally transition until a year later on June 28th, 2018. I am now in my 4th year of my transition. I remain married to my lovely wife of 25 years. And I continue to teach at the same junior high school that I taught at prior to my transition.

Interview with Hannah Herr

Monika: Today I am going to host Hannah Herr, a German social media influencer and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Hannah! 

Hannah: Hi Monika! Thanks for having me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hannah: I'm 30 years old, and I studied biology and English before I got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I then tried myself as an optometrist for a few years until my condition got worse and had to quit my job as well. Now I am writing a blog on Instagram about being transgender while having a chronic illness, my life with my partner, my cat and whatever comes to my mind really. It has been a great outlet for me.

Monika: Hannah is a nice name. How did you choose it?

Hannah: I was set on the name Linda for the longest time, but a friend pressed me for an alternative and I spontaneously came up with Hannah. He loved it and it instantly grew on me, because it was similar to my old name phonetically, but different enough to not make an instant connection to the dead name. It is also a palindrome and I could keep my initials, the perfect name!

Interview with Cassidy McGuinn

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Cassidy McGuinn, an Irish-American blogger from Boston, Massachusetts, that rambles on life, love, music, and baseball (not necessarily in that order) on her blog Cassidy's Quest and YouTube vlog. Hello Cassidy!

Cassidy: Hello, Monika! Thank you so much for this invitation. I am beyond flattered! 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cassidy: Let’s see… as you mentioned in your introduction, I’m an Irish-American gal from the Boston area. I’ve also been fortunate enough to live in Seattle and Newport, Rhode Island, two of the most beautiful places in the United States. (For your readers: be sure to try Del’s frozen lemonade if you ever visit Newport. You can thank me later!)

I am indeed a die-hard baseball fan – not just the Red Sox, the team from Boston, but also the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. To be honest, I’ll watch any baseball game. :c)

Hmm… what else? I’ve gotten into running the past few years and absolutely love it. It’s also very peaceful; I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve finished a run and realized I had worked out the solution to some issue I’d been wrestling with!