Interview with Kyle Mewburn

Monika: Kyle Mewburn is an Australian-New Zealand writer, journalist, traveler, teacher, and transgender activist. She is the former President of the New Zealand Society of Authors (2012-2016). Her books have won many prizes and awards. She lives in Millers Flat, Central Otago, and writes junior fiction books. In 2021 she published her memoir “Faking It: My Life in Transition”. Hello Kyle! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Kyle: It's my pleasure.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kyle: I could probably say a few million words about myself. But I think your intro is a pretty good summary. Though I might add I live on a 2-hectare property near a tiny rural community at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand with my wife, Marion, two cats, two goats, a pair of sheep and 20 chickens.

Interview with Alex

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Alex, a transgender woman from New Zealand who shares her transition story on social media. Hello Alex!

Alex: Hi Monika, thank you for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alex: For much of my life I never really saw myself fitting in anywhere, never really saw a future for myself. I went through the first 25 or so years of my life doing the things I thought I was supposed to: playing sports in school, going to university, getting a job in the city.

It was at the suggestion of a family friend that I look into doing an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), and I was lucky enough to be accepted at the University of Cambridge in the UK. My classmates on the program came from all walks of life, from nations all over the world, wealthy backgrounds, and humble ones, with aspirations of changing the world in their own ways - really inspiring people.

Interview with Anna Skinner

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Anna Skinner, a liberated transwoman from New Zealand, passionate cyclist, and happy parent of three. Hello Anna!

Anna: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. I love to share my journey so that people may gain a better understanding of what it is to be transgender and also to touch those folk who may be struggling with their gender identity.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Anna: I am a 55-year-old transwoman, born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. I have been living in Christchurch for the last 22 years which is a beautiful place located on the east coast of the South Island. When I was younger, I dreamt of living as my authentic self but for many reasons it never eventuated to a lot later in my life.

Interview with Monica P Mulholland

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Monica P Mulholland, a writer and transgender activist living in New Zealand. She is the president-elect of Queenstown Rotary Club, the co-author of the book titled “ME!: The gift of being Transgender” (2016), available only on Amazon as a Kindle book. Hello Monika!

Monica: Hi Monika, I am deeply honored to be nominated to be included on your Heroines page. I think it is extremely important for TG people to have role models. Role models have an important part to play in helping reduce the terrible suicide rates that plague our community. Thank you so much for doing this work!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Monica: I am a late bloomer. I am soon to be 60 and started my societal transition a year ago. I do not regret it in the slightest. The general consensus is that I am a much happier and outgoing person since I started living as my true self. It is never too late to be yourself.

Interview with Nikola Piława

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Nikola Piława, a young Australian video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Nikki!

Nikki: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nikki: My full name is Nikola. I’m 20 years old and I reside in Australia. I grew up in New Zealand, only recently moving here to start my career as a makeup artist. Creating YouTube videos documenting my transition from male to female is something I do to help educate and help other people. I also have an unhealthy obsession with makeup and dogs.

Interview with Simone Whitlow

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Simone Whitlow, a singer, guitar player, transgender activist, former member of the Ishtar hard rock group from New Zealand. Hello Simone!

Simone: Heya Monika lovely to meet you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Simone: Hmm let’s see, I work a day job I don’t like to define myself. Music runs through my veins though I don’t have the time at present to do much with it. I am passionate, creative, and intellectual and in fledgling steps towards entrepreneurship at the moment. I’m very happily post-transition and in the process of achieving my ideal life unencumbered, however, I have more pieces to the jigsaw than space to lay it down right now.

Interview with Allyson Hamblett

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Allyson Hamblett, a transgender activist from New Zealand, musician, involved in the work for CCS Disability Action, Agender New Zealand, Outline NZ, GenderBridge, and the Cerebral Palsy Society. Hello Allyson!

Allyson: Hi Monika, thank you for the opportunity to talk with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Allyson: Currently I’m the chair of the Local Advisory Committee of CCS Disability Action Auckland. I work as Media Assistant at Spark Centre of Creative Development, writing articles for their monthly newsletter. I am co-founder of Transadvocates. And have been an activist since my university days, when I discovered sociology and started to understand how society is constructed. I have cerebral palsy.

Monika: You have a passion for art and composing music. In addition, you take part in many live performances.

Allyson: I discovered my creativity about 12 years ago when I started going to Spark Centre of Creative Development. I enjoy painting with acrylic on canvas and love portraiture and figures in space. Making art allows me to focus on what I’m doing and forget about everything else.

Interview with Claudia McKay

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Claudia McKay, a transgender activist from New Zealand, President of Agender New Zealand, a leading advocacy organization for the trans community in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Hello Claudia!

Claudia: Hello Monika and thank you for this opportunity.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Claudia: I am 57 years of age, born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. When I left high school I spent the next 35 years as an artist, I painted and exhibited all that time and married Janet in 1995. We were together for 12-13 years and although now separated we are still very close.

It was Janet that came home one day with the idea that would eventually become Agender NZ. I began my transition at age 40 and have not had surgery. I have nothing against it, just never had enough money at one time and am always spending what I do have on clothes and shoes. My current work for Agender is unpaid so I work part-time as a rental property inspector and also do some cleaning and gardening.

Interview with Amy Brosnahan

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Amy Brosnahan, an inspirational transgender girl from New Zealand, finalist of the Battle of the Babes, a New Zealand beauty pageant. Hello Amy!

Amy: Hello, it’s great to be doing an interview, Monika. I feel very honored. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Amy: Well, I’m 18 years old, and I was born in Auckland, New Zealand. I like to dance and sing - not that I am particularly good at it though. I am a really sociable person and I love being around my friends and people who support me. I’m half Samoan – my dad is Samoan and my mum is Pakeha (born in New Zealand but of Irish descent).

I’m just a normal girl who happens to be seen as different, and quite often misunderstood. I consider myself to be a very strong person and usually roll with the knocks, but occasionally things will push me right back down again and it takes a little while to bounce back. But I always do.

Interview with Cherise Witehira

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Cherise Witehira, an inspirational transgender activist from New Zealand, Butcher’s Apprentice, Hairdresser, Academic, Sex Worker, Public Servant and former President of Agender New Zealand, a leading advocacy organization for the trans community in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Hello Cherise!

Cherise: Kia ora my sis!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cherise: Trigger alert, blunt, offensively honest etc…

Monika: For many years you have been dealing with transgender advocacy. What are the current challenges for transgender people In New Zealand?

Cherise: Please forgive me for the long-winded response to this question. To be honest Monika, there are many challenges faced by the Trans community here in Aotearoa, NZ. The five main issues I see currently affecting the community in NZ are Housing, Healthcare, Education, Employment and Poverty.

These issues have been evident for many years and successive governments have chosen to ignore them as they “are not a priority”. This is quite sad really as there are many within the community who require the support but for various reasons, cannot seem to access the services that are required in order for the person to become, for want of a better term, valuable, contributing members of society.

Interview with Jacquie Grant MNZM

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jacquie Grant MNZM, a proud naturalized New Zealander of many talents, Sex Worker, Merchant Sailor, Drag Club owner, Restaurateur, Dairy Farmer, Small Zoo owner, District Councilor, Foster Mother, Sock Knitting Machine Museum owner and businesswoman. Hello Jacquie!

Hello Monika! Nice to hear from you and to read some of the stories of our sisters from around the world.

Monika: Your story could be a perfect movie scenario. In 1964 you had to run away to New Zealand to avoid imprisonment for dressing as female…

Jacquie: Yes, I along with some friends left the country of our birth Australia to escape the oppressive political regime that would see Trans and Gay people outside of the legal system and would go out of its way to harass and victimize people who by birth were different.

In post war Australia, it was illegal for a “male” person to dress as the opposite sex except in some strictly controlled circumstances, for example on private property or performers in clubs who change after performances.

The only option for those of us with little talent as performers and who felt the compelling need to express who we were had to fall back on street work something that was dangerous for those of us who came out so early for me. It was 1958 and I was 14 years old suffered from what is now known as ADHD.
After being imprisoned several times as I said a group of us came to New Zealand where the law was far kinder to Trans people which gave us the freedom we craved.

Interview with Kelly Ellis

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Kelly Ellis, an inspirational transgender advocate, lawyer, and politician from New Zealand. Hello Kelly!

Kelly: Good Morning Monika.

Monika: Do you think transgender women can make a difference in politics?
Kelly: I think anyone can make a difference in politics. They shouldn’t be there if that’s not their motivation. I’m motivated by hoping to contribute to a society where our children have better work and educational opportunities. That can only happen with a redistribution of wealth. These views are independent of who or what I am. They are the goals any good citizen should hope for.
Notwithstanding that, visibility for transgender people is important if we are to increase our influence. There are few things that are more visible than entering politics.

Interview with Jasmine Eastall

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jasmine Sapphire Eastall, an inspirational lady from New Zealand, transgender/transsexual activist, and advocate. Hello Jasmine!

Jasmine: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jasmine: Currently I am living in a lovely valley called Wainuiomata, near Wellington with my partner and newly adopted kitten Desire. In 2004 I traveled through Europe so I saw other transgender communities. I felt I needed to get away to find myself. It was the only way that I was able to comfortably come out as a trans woman.

I was living as a gay male at the time, but I knew inside it wasn't what I really was. There was something deeper than that. It wasn’t till my trip to Spain when it really clicked that I was trans and struggled a lot to accept myself. I met a lovely transwoman from Portugal in Barcelona who engaged in a huge conversation with me, that is when I first learned of hormones.

Interview with Racheal McGonigal

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Racheal McGonigal, an author, businesswoman, transgender activist from New Zealand. She is the author of the following books: Transgender Guide (2012), Country Boy to City Girl (2012), Summer Storm (2012), A Pictorial Transformation - Him to Her (2012), Be Careful What You Wish For (2013), and Reflections (2013). We are going to talk about the situation of transgender women in New Zealand and her transition. Hello Racheal!

Racheal: Thanks, Monika. Thanks for the opportunity to speak out as I believe the more we show ourselves, the sooner we will be accepted in society as understanding/education is the key to end discrimination.

Monika: Could you say a few words about your career so far?

Racheal: A very diverse career. Farmworker, sheep and beef farmer, horticulturist, Restaurant provider, storeman, salesman, key account manager, territory manager, cafe owner, Fashion boutique store owner, tractor salesman, prostitution is not illegal downunder so Escort, Brothel owner, escort agency owner, Mistress, unemployed writer.