Interview with Addie Danielle

Monika: Today I have invited Addie Danielle, a Canadian woman from Nova Scotia, who chronicles her transition on social media. Hello Addie! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Addie: Thank you so much for the invitation! I’m honored to be able to share a bit of my journey with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Addie: I’m a 33-year-old Trans woman from Atlantic Canada. I’m the General Manager of a boutique corporate audio-visual company that specializes in press conferences, live streams, internal meetings, etc. I’ve been working in the event production industry in some capacity for 12 years. I live alone in a quiet neighborhood outside the city with two crazy dogs and I spend my free time hiking, paddling, and restaurant/cafe hopping.

Interview with Hannah J. Kamphof

Monika: Today I have the sheer pleasure of chatting with Hannah Joelle Kamphof, a Canadian blogger that shares her transition journey on social media. Hello Hannah! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Hannah: Thank you so much in return Monika, this is an honour considering how instrumental your Heroines blog was for me, especially in my first six months of transition. It’s an honour to now be part of this amazing collection of interviews.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hannah: As many would likely say of me I am not a person of few words, especially in front of a keyboard Lol, I’ll do my best. I’m Canadian, 47 years old, born in a small city in south-west Ontario, Canada; raised a good chunk of my life in the metro area of Vancouver, British Columbia; went to University in Edmonton, Alberta where I earned my BA in History and Political Science; from there moved all over as I sought meaning in my life and likely escaping life also.

Interview with Courtnei Lee

Monika: My guest today is Courtnei Lee, a Canadian entrepreneur, trans activist, businesswoman, and founder of OYT Cosmetics - a cosmetic line that was made for the LGBTQ+ community, especially for trans people who face discrimination and segregation daily. Hello Courtnei! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Courtnei: Thank you so much for having me! It’s an honor to be a part of such a beautiful blog!

Monika: I remember when I was at the very start of my transition and I went to a beauty shop to buy my female cosmetics for the first time, and I was totally overwhelmed by the number of products. The beauty industry is probably one of the most competitive industries. 

Courtnei: It’s definitely one of the most competitive and the problem is with all these huge brands, we're still not seeing proper representation! That’s something that we are working really hard to try and change.

Interview with Dimitria Sparrow

Monika: Today I would like to present to you Dimitria Sparrow, a Canadian makeup artist, and beauty vlogger. Her YouTube vlog provides trans women and crossdressers with beauty knowledge about makeup, fashion, etiquette, as well as transition challenges. Hello Dimitria!

Dimitria: Hello, Monika! Thanks so much for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Dimitria: I’m Dimitria, I make beauty videos on the Internet. For some reason, I have a vanilla look right now while still being the angsty and neurotic girl everyone knows and tolerates LOL.

Monika: You uploaded your first video to YouTube in June 2020. What inspired you to start your vlog?

Dimitria: Transitioning in itself is very difficult, and presenting feminine is just as hard. Here I was at 19 with no idea how to do makeup, feminize my voice, tuck, or pick out breast forms for myself. It was so intimidating and overwhelming that I decided to educate myself on everything I wanted to know in feminizing my appearance. I wanted to give like-minded people this knowledge to where transitioning on the outside is exciting rather than scary, to alleviate dysphoria and prove that the perfect image of yourself is more than possible.

Interview with Erin Dees

Monika: Today my guest is Erin Dees, an inspirational woman from Ontario, Canada. Erin is a programmer, engineer, and coach. She has written or co-written five books on programming. Erin lives with her wife, their youngest son, and their cranky Corgi mix. At one time, their household included a menagerie of kids, dogs, cats, chickens, and goats. But the older kids graduated and started their own lives, and the goats eventually ran out of grass to eat and moved on to a family with a bigger yard. Hello Erin!

Erin: Hi! Thanks for having me on your site. It's an honor to be included among so many trans people I've looked up to.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Erin: Sure! I grew up in Texas as a goofy, sensitive child. I got to try computer programming at a school day camp in grade six and was instantly hooked. It felt like magic to type words on the screen and see things happen as a result!

I also love spoken languages after taking French in high school and German at university. I took a one-semester break from engineering and studied in Berlin, which gave me enough credits to sneak a German degree into my graduation plan.

Interview with Victoria Perera

Monika: Today we are going to Ontario in Canada, where my guest lives. Victoria Perera is a Serbian-born model, fitness instructor, and media influencer that shares her story on social media. We are going to talk about being trans and challenges related to her fascinating journey towards womanhood. Hello Victoria!

Victoria: Hello Monika. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to speak with you and share my story.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Victoria: I’m a 44 year old transwoman. I work as a residential appraiser near Toronto, Canada. I’m recently divorced and share custody of my two young boys with my ex-wife that we successfully co-parent. I would call myself a fitness fanatic and a very social woman who is always looking for a new challenge.

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

Victoria: It started out innocently enough. I joined Instagram because I was bored after my first facial surgery. It has become entirely different. After I started posting a few pictures, I found I was connecting and interacting with other transwoman who had similar stories. I was inspired by their transition stories and felt it was my responsibility to share mine as well. Before I had transitioned, I was a closed off person.