Interview with Vanessa Joy

Monika: Today I have invited Vanessa Joy, an American podcast hostess, transactivist, and politician. Vanessa is known for participating in Transcending Humanity, a podcast group of Transgender/Nonbinary/Gender friends, and her Vanesstradiol YouTube channel where she chronicles her transition. A couple of weeks ago, she ran as a Democratic candidate for the Ohio House District 50, but was disqualified from the ballot for omitting her previous name. Joy was one of four transgender candidates running for state office in Ohio, largely in response to proposed restrictions of the rights of LGBTQ+ people. She is also the stepdaughter of GOP state Representative Bill Roemer. Hello Vanessa! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Vanessa: Thank you for reaching out!

Monika: It has been a couple of weeks since you were disqualified from the ballot. It must have been a bitter experience. 

Vanessa: It was very disappointing, yes. I was caught completely off guard; I figured that if I was going to be disqualified it would have been because I did have enough valid signatures. I did have enough, this obscure law was a complete surprise. It was too many people, really, which is why it became such big news for four weeks!

Interview with Barbara Marie Minney

It is not every day that you encounter a woman whose words can move mountains, whose journey carries the weight of generations, and whose courage unfolds line by line in verses both tender and unflinching. Barbara Marie Minney, a seventh-generation Appalachian and native of West Virginia, is one such woman. Now living in Tallmadge, Ohio, she is an award-winning poet, writer, speaker, teaching artist, and quiet activist. Her work has been featured in Politico, The Buckeye Flame, Gargoyle Magazine, The Gasconade Review, and numerous anthologies amplifying female and queer voices, including Woman Scream: The International Poetry Anthology of Female Voices. Barbara is the author of four powerful poetry collections, including If There’s No Heaven, winner of the 2020 Poetry Is Life Book Award. 

 

A retired attorney with a distinguished 36-year legal career, Barbara now devotes herself to writing poems that reflect her life as both a transgender woman and an Appalachian storyteller. Her voice, shaped by years of personal searching and spiritual resilience, is personal, raw, and deeply human. In today’s conversation, two women sit down, one a blogger and interviewer, the other a poet and quiet revolutionary. We talk about poetry, the long road to womanhood, the bittersweet aftermath of transition, and the tension of inhabiting identities that don’t always fit into simple categories. Barbara and I meet not just as interviewer and guest, but as sisters in experience, exchanging reflections that come only from living a truth that had to be fought for, sometimes silently, sometimes in verse, but always bravely. Let’s begin.

Interview with Kara Nicole Hays

Kara Nicole Hays, born Kody in a small town in southeastern Ohio, grew up in the heart of America's conservative Bible Belt. Her early years were marked by feelings of isolation and confusion, as she struggled with gender dysphoria and the expectations of a society that didn’t understand her. At the age of 12, before beginning her transition, Kara made headlines by attending a Halloween dance dressed in a red vinyl catsuit, a homage to her idol, Britney Spears. This bold statement shocked her classmates and school officials, setting the tone for a childhood filled with both scrutiny and self-discovery.

Interview with Lana Moore

Lana Moore is a true testament to the power of self-realization and courage. She is a transgender woman and captain with the Columbus Division of Fire. Lana's journey from a life lived as Larry to becoming the woman she was always meant to be is one of profound transformation and resilience. Growing up in a Catholic home in East Columbus, Lana's struggles with gender identity began early. She felt like an outsider in her own body and often sought solace in secret dress-up sessions as a child. It wasn’t until her late 40s, after years of living in silence and battling gender dysphoria, that Lana found the strength to transition and embrace her true self.

 

Her decision to transition was not just personal but professional. As a respected firefighter and leader, Lana's courage to be open about her identity in a traditionally male-dominated field was met with an unexpected outpouring of support from her colleagues. Today, she continues to excel both on and off the job, advocating for transgender rights and serving as a role model for others. Lana’s story has become a beacon of hope, not only for transgender individuals but also for the many who struggle with their own identity. A fierce advocate for equality, she remains an inspiring figure, proving that one’s true self can emerge, no matter the obstacles.