Interview with Jennifer Cobian

Monika: Today I am going to chat with Jennifer Cobian, a Puerto Rican-born beauty expert, make-up artist, model, and transgender woman from Miami, Florida, that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Jennifer!

Jennifer: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me here. I'm honored to be included in this platform that showcases amazing trans women from around the world.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jennifer: Well, I’m from Puerto Rico, and I had to relocate to Miami after a major hurricane destroyed almost everything in the island in 2017. I enjoy going to Disney, collecting Barbie memorabilia, and wearing designer shoes.

I am still single! If any gentleman reading wants to take me out ;)

Monika: What are your favourite pieces in your Barbie collection?

Jennifer: Oh wow that’s a tough question because I love so many of them! But if I could narrow it down to three I’d say. I love the Blond Diamond doll by the Blonds, the 50th Anniversary Barbie and the MAC Barbie Doll, it was my first ever collector doll and it started the whole craze.

Interview with Nadia

Monika: Today I am going to interview Nadia, an American hairstylist and beauty expert, a former entertainer from Orlando, Florida that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Nadia!

Nadia: Hello, how are you?

Monika: Doing fine. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nadia: Well I am 44. I’m a services district educator for Ulta Beauty. I started my transition in 2005. So I will celebrate 16 years in April.

Monika: Nadia is a nice name. Why did you choose it?

Nadia: This name was given to me by my drag mother when I was a performer. It was a name I always loved as a kid. I love the movie Nadia based on the life of Nadia Comaneci. 

Monika: Yes, I remember the movie. Nadia Comaneci was a famous Romanian gymnast. Were you good at gymnastics?

Nadia: I was an ok gymnast. I taught myself a lot as a kid. All the things I wanted to do I was told “no” you can’t because that’s for girls. But that was with everything that I liked and wanted to do. I did enjoy watching the Olympics growing up and always hoped and wished I could do all those things that the girls did.

Interview with Ella Marques

It has been three years since I last spoke with Ella Marques, a Portuguese-American writer living in Boca Raton, Florida, and in that time her creative world has continued to expand with remarkable energy. Known for her deeply personal biographical book I Was Born a Boy from Venus. It’s Time to Be Yourself, Ella has since taken readers further along her journey with Coming Home to Venus, a powerful reflection on transition, change, and becoming whole, as well as Eva’s World, a vibrant work of fiction that blends lived experience with imagination. Beyond writing, Ella has become a visible and generous presence in the transgender community through Trans-Gurus, a platform she co-founded to support and connect trans people across the globe. Her story is one of courage, introspection, creativity, and an unwavering belief that transgender women are, quite simply, women who live, love, work, and dream like anyone else.

 

In Coming Home to Venus, Ella traces the path from dysphoria to gender reassignment surgery, exploring not only the medical and practical aspects of transition but also its emotional, psychological, and social dimensions. The book stands as both a personal testimony and a roadmap, speaking directly to transgender readers while inviting cisgender audiences to better understand the depth and complexity of a trans woman’s experience. Alongside this deeply reflective work, Ella embraced fiction with Eva’s World, a novel that blends travel, friendship, love, and identity, drawing from real places, real emotions, and lived experiences, while allowing imagination to take the lead. Now in her mid-sixties, Ella speaks with the confidence of experience and the curiosity of someone still deeply engaged with the world. Her journey is marked not by a single moment of transition, but by a lifelong commitment to authenticity, creativity, and connection. In this interview, we return to her story not only to reflect on how far she has come, but also to explore how living fully as oneself can unlock new beginnings at any stage of life.

Interview with Roxanne Manzone

There is a quiet courage in living authentically, and few women embody that courage more gracefully than Roxanne L. Manzone. A proud Ocala resident for over four decades, Roxanne’s journey is one of inner strength, steady resilience, and heartfelt conviction. After retiring from a long career in law enforcement, she found a second calling as a Roadway Inspector with the Florida Department of Transportation, navigating not just roads but the winding path toward becoming her true self. She transitioned at the age of 57, embracing womanhood not as a beginning or an end, but as a lifelong truth finally set free. Her story, once featured in The New York Times series “Transgender Today,” is not one of regret but of empowerment, a reminder that it is never too late to live in harmony with your soul. Roxanne’s life is filled with the kind of passions that reveal a tender and authentic heart: from displaying her beloved car at local shows, to volunteering weekly at a soup kitchen, to custom-painting model trains with the kind of care that only someone deeply attentive to beauty and detail can offer.

 

Her sense of responsibility to the transgender community is deeply rooted in visibility and hope. Through her testimony at legislative hearings and the quiet bravery of everyday conversations, Roxanne has become a local advocate, not for attention or applause, but to show the world that transgender people are neighbors, colleagues, and kind souls who simply want to live and be loved. Though she has faced painful losses, especially within her family, Roxanne remains grounded by strong friendships, supportive co-workers, and her cherished “transition buddy,” Cindy. She believes that being transgender is not about passing, it’s about peace. In a world where trans women are often expected to prove their womanhood, Roxanne stands firmly in her jeans, unbothered by trends or expectations, offering instead a model of self-acceptance, grace, and quiet pride. It is my honor to share this conversation with a woman whose strength speaks softly but echoes deeply.

Interview with Arianna Lint

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Arianna Lint, a native of Peru. Arianna is a transgender activist and advocate from Florida, and is the Director of SunServe's Transgender Services Department, and co-president of Translatin@ Coalition. Hello Arianna!

Arianna: Hello Monika and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be on your blog; I am honored.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Arianna: I am a very happy and blessing person at this time of my life.

Monika: What is the goal of Translatin@ Coalition?

Arianna: Our goal and mission are to advocate for the specific needs of Trans Latin@ immigrants who reside in the US and plan advocacy strategies that would improve our quality of life.

Interview with True Scarlet

True Scarlet is an American video blogger and transgender advocate based in Florida. Known for her thoughtful and heartfelt YouTube channel, she has been documenting her transition journey in the hope of offering guidance, encouragement, and a sense of solidarity to others exploring their gender identity. Born Arrietta, she works as a Facility Maintenance Supervisor at a drug and alcohol treatment center and brings the same dedication to her professional life as she does to her advocacy. Now in her early thirties, True began publicly transitioning after spending years researching the psychological and biological aspects of being transgender, initially in private. Inspired by the stories of others she found online, she decided to share her own experience to "give back" and support those just beginning their path. With over a year of counseling, more than fourteen months on hormones, and her legal name and gender marker already changed, she continues to hit meaningful milestones with strength and optimism. A passionate hiker and avid reader, True blends curiosity, introspection, and resilience in everything she does. Whether she’s speaking to students in a college Human Sexuality class, helping organize local Trans Pride events, or simply offering a vulnerable moment of reflection on camera, True Scarlet stands as a quiet but powerful voice for authenticity, visibility, and hope.