Interview with Denise Chanterelle DuBois

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Denise Chanterelle DuBois, an American actress, environmentalist, and a businesswoman from Portland, Oregon, the author of the biographical memoir book titled “Self-Made Woman” (2017). Hello Denise! 

Denise: Hi Monika and thank you so much for interviewing me today! I really appreciate it.

Monika: You present yourself as a “fortune's favorite daughter”. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Denise: In my memoir, I write about so many close calls I had with death, and yet survived basically unharmed. I had huge drug & alcohol problems in “my other life” as I like to call it, and rightfully should either be dead from overdosing, or in a nursing home with no brain left, yet here I am still standing and grateful for that. Indeed, I am “fortune’s favorite daughter.”

Interview with Tuesday Meadows

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Tuesday G Meadows, an American transactivist, blogger, retired grocery store manager from Lexington, Kentucky. Hello Tuesday!

Tuesday: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Tuesday: My name is Tuesday Meadows, I live in Lexington, Kentucky. :)

Monika: I saw your short story in The New York Times series titled “Transgender Today.” Why did you decide to come out to the general public?

Tuesday: The purpose of the series was to tell stories of transgender individuals from varied backgrounds. The first 10 I read were people who had achieved great things such as scientists, doctors, lawyers, actors, and business leaders. I thought, “I wonder where the ordinary people like me are?” So I decided to give them a profile of me because there is no one more ordinary than me.

Interview with Sheri Swokowski

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Sheri Swokowski, an American advocate for transgender rights and former U.S. Army colonel. She is the highest-ranking, out, transgender US Army veteran in the United States. Hello Sheri!

Sheri: Hello Monika!

Monika: I am so happy to have you here! Let me start with a question about your professional life. You can boast a fantastic military career …
Sheri: I enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard after high school and shortly thereafter started working full time as a federal employee. A dozen years later, I had the best of both worlds, as I was offered an opportunity to go on active duty in support of the WI National Guard.
I was a career infantry soldier who spent almost 35 years in uniform. I advanced through the enlisted ranks, attended the WI Military Academy, and earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant. I made the most of many opportunities and served as a Company Commander with two deployments, although in my day they were to Europe. I served on a two-star staff and was the Force Integrator, Strategic Planner, and finally the J1, Director of Manpower and Personnel.

Interview with Roxanne Manzone

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Roxanne L. Manzone, a Florida Department of Transportation Roadway Inspector from Ocala, Florida. Hello Roxanne! 

Roxanne: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Roxanne: I retired from Law Enforcement here in Ocala, Fl, and have lived here for over 40 years, and grew up in New York. I am a “Car Girl” and enjoy displaying my car in car shows. I volunteer at a local soup kitchen once a week. I am a model train enthusiast, and I custom paint scale model trains.

Monika: I saw your short story in The New York Times series titled “Transgender Today.” Why did you decide to come out to the general public?

Roxanne: My attitude is that there is so little information about the Transgender Community, we are all responsible to be visible in a positive way, many people have never met a transgender person, and I want people who meet me to have a positive impression. I wanted people to see that we are everyday people too.

Interview with Ella Marques

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Ella Marques, a Portuguese-American writer living in Boca Raton, Florida, the author of the biographical book titled “I was born a boy, from Venus. It’s time to be yourself” (2017). Hello Ella!
Ella: Hi Monika, Thank you very much for the interview, and for thinking about me. I like your blog very much.
Monika: You describe yourself as an “international” woman. Could you say a few words about yourself?
Ella: Sure. I was born in Portugal, at the age of 14 I went to an international boarding school in Switzerland, and since then I have lived, worked, and visited many countries. I lived in London, Paris, Fortaleza, a city in the Northeast of Brazil. Lived over 30 years in various cities in Switzerland and moved to the USA 6 year ago.

Interview with Lois Simmons

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Lois Simmons, an American tax preparer and writer from Suffern, N.Y. She writes posts for the blog titled “Being Christian and Transsexual: Life on Planet Mercury.” Hello Lois!

Lois: Hello Monika. To be included with such an illustrious group of trans women who you have interviewed is quite an honor.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lois: This is the toughest question you asked me, as it is difficult to limit myself to a few words on almost any subject! But here goes.

I’m 64 years old. I was born in New York City (borough of Queens) and have lived all my life in the city or its suburbs. I went to Cornell with plans to be a Civil Engineer/Urban Planner/designer of roads and rail systems. I ended up with a degree in Government.

Interview with Roxanne Edwards

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Roxanne Edwards, an American architect and activist for LGBTQ issues from Washington, DC. Hello Roxanne!

Roxanne: Hello, Monika! Greetings from the United States Capital city, Washington, DC! It has always been an interesting place to live, but now more than ever, it is a critical place to be involved in issues that affect all our citizens.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Roxanne: I am a professional architect who has done projects nationally and in the Middle East. My entire life has been lived in the Washington area except during my degree studies at my university, Virginia Tech, where I met my spouse. We have been married for 43+ years and we have seven grandchildren. My activism started in 2000 with the beginning of my transition to my authentic self.

Interview with Prof. Deirdre Nansen McCloskey

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Prof. Deirdre Nansen McCloskey, a well-known American economist, historian, and rhetorician, LGBTQ activist, the author of 17 books and over 400 scholarly pieces on topics ranging from technical economics and statistical theory to transgender advocacy, including the biographical book titled “Crossing: A Memoir” (2000). For more information about her academic career, see deirdremccloskey.com.

Monika: Let me tease you a bit. Some people say that economists can be compared to weather forecasting guys we see on TV. They are most precise at describing the weather we had yesterday but far from being precise when they have to tell us whether it is going to rain or not tomorrow. Do you object? :)

Prof. McCloskey: A little bit! I wrote a book in 1990 entitled "If You're So Smart" arguing that economists cannot predict profitably, simply because if they could they would all be rich. And, believe me, I am not rich. People, and some economists (when they are also people), think that economics is indeed like forecasting the weather. It is not. The economic "clouds" and "cold fronts" are listening.

Interview with Caisie Breen

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Caisie Breen, transgender writer, the author of the biographical book titled “Songbyrd: Becoming She” (2016). Hello Caisie!

Caisie: Hello Monika. Thank you for taking the time to interview me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Caisie: I’m 61 years old and have been married to the same lovely woman for over 36 years. We have two adult sons and are owners of a small plumbing and electrical service company in Portland, Oregon.

Monika: Why did you decide to write your memoir?

Caisie: Frankly, I think it’s one of the boilerplate recommendations given to transgender people by our therapists, early on, as a way to help us transition. I got my advice years ago and immediately began keeping journals.

Interview with Allison Annalora - Part 2

Monika: Allison, I am so delighted that I can interview you again! Let me briefly introduce you to those who have not read our first interview. Allison Lenore Annalora - a talented singer and remarkable woman, star of Cabaret Troupe, an admirer of Barbra Streisand, hairstylist, and the author of the recently published biography titled “Late Blooming: My Gender Journey”.

Allison: Thank you Monika for asking me to be interviewed!!

Monika: You look fantastic … It has been 4 years since our first interview. What has changed in your life since then?

Allison: Well, my boyfriend of six years moved in with me four years ago, and we’re still going strong. I appeared a second time at The McCallum Theatre, in their annual talent contest in 2015, as one of 25 finalists in front of an audience of 1,200. I didn’t win, but I sure had fun! I star in my own cabaret show, “Call Me Diva” every other month at a local restaurant.

Interview with Brenda Appleton

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Brenda Appleton, an Australian transgender activist and strong advocate for improved rights for trans and gender diverse people. Hello Brenda!

Brenda: Thanks Monika for the opportunity to discuss the trans community and how and where I fit into the community in Melbourne.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Brenda: I am now 65 and have been retired for 7 years. I was born in NZ but have lived in Australia, mostly Melbourne, for more than 20 years. I transitioned more than 14 years ago when I was working for a multinational organization and have not had a moment of hesitation that it was the right decision for me.

Interview with Alana Joy

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Alana Joy, a commodity trader, musician, photographer, hiker, writer, and dreamer, the author of the biographical book titled “Dreamy Morning” (2015). Hello Alana!

Alana: Hi Monika, thank you so much for asking me to do this interview. It is an honor and a privilege to be here.

Also, I want to thank you, Monika, for creating such a wonderful website. There is a wealth of knowledge and information here, thanks to the collective experiences of all of these wonderful ladies.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alana: As of this writing, I am a 60-year-old transwoman. As a nature lover, I am fortunate to live in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., where the city has preserved many hundreds of acres of natural desert land, within the city limits. There are many hiking trails, which I hike often to keep in shape. I am a very artistic person, who loves music, photography, and the art of charting and trading.

Interview with Katherine Cummings

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Katherine Cummings, an icon of the Australian transgender movement, librarian, sailor, activist for transgender people, award-winning author; she works at Sydney’s Gender Centre – an organization set up in 1983 to help people with gender issues – and is the information worker and edits the Centre’s quarterly magazine Polare.

Hello Katherine!
Katherine: Hello Monika. I am honored (and flattered) by your introduction. You could just have said, as Deirdre McCloskey did in her book, Crossing, that I am a gender saint (please don’t guffaw too loudly).
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Katherine: If there is such a thing I’d say I am a fairly typical transgender. My wish to be female goes back as far as memories go but I only found out that my impossible dream could be a possible dream when I was seventeen, in my first year at university, when Christine Jorgensen was outed. Up to that point I had known about gay people, female impersonators, and intersex (although we didn’t call them intersex in 1952) and knew I was none of those things.

Interview with Karen Adell Scot

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Karen Adell Scot. Miss Scot is a very diverse woman. She is an award-winning California high school science teacher, a movie producer, and screenwriter of feature films, a former Major in the military, a law enforcement officer, and recently a beauty queen. Hello Karen Adell!

Karen Adell: Hi there Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Karen Adell: Thank you so much for interviewing me. It is an honor to share a little bit of my life with your readers.

Monika: You hit the headlines in December 2014 when the American media covered your coming-out story. Were you satisfied with the way the media covered your transition? 

Karen Adell: Absolutely not. I was outed against my will on the front pages of many newspapers, on over twenty local news broadcasts and then was outed on all the major American national news broadcasts and went viral on the net. Many stories used male pronouns and then allowed comments where others called me a “thing” and “it” even calling for me to die as some sort of filthy piece of garbage. Some stories about me were so bad other news stories were written using my example of how NOT to write about transgender women.

Interview with Abby Louise Jensen

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Abby Louise Jensen, a transgender attorney and activist now living in Tucson, Arizona. She is Vice President of the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, a member of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee of the Arizona State Bar Association and the City of Tucson’s GLBT Advisory Commission, the former President and member of the Board of Directors of QsquaredYouth, a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of Prescott Area Shelter Services, and honoree on the inaugural Trans 100 list (2013). Hello Abby!

Abby: Hi, Monika! Thanks for giving me the chance to be interviewed for your blog. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Abby: Sure. I’ve been an attorney since 1982, but I didn’t decide to transition until 2007. So, I’ve been living full-time as Abby for just under 8 years.
Although I often thought about being a girl or woman when I was younger, I gave up that dream when I was in my late 20’s and resolved myself to living as a man for the rest of my life.

Interview with Emily Iannielli

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Emily Iannielli, an American blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Emily!

Emily: Hi, Monika, It’s my pleasure to be a part of your interview. Thank you for your kind consideration. It is greatly appreciated!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Emily: First I wish to thank you Monika for inviting me to share my story. I identify as a male-to-female transgender woman. I felt I should have been a girl since age 3. I fought my transgender feelings all throughout my life hoping desperately I would rise above it. I am very lucky to have a son I love. He is 16 years old and is my pride and joy.

Interview with Angela van Bebber

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Angela van Bebber, a Dutch transgender activist from Tilburg, the Netherlands, businesswoman, blogger, the author of “Eindelijk, ik lééf!” (Finally I live). Hello Angela!

Angela: Hello, thanks for the interview. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Angela: Well, where do I start. I’m 62 years old. Transsexual. Got out of the closet in 2001. Had my surgery in 2006. Life hasn’t been easy for me. I still have repercussions. In general, I’m doing fine. Nowadays I give lectures and I’m sharing my experiences at schools. I wrote a book about my life as it’s already mentioned. I have a website allesmagerzijn.nl. In English, you can say: It’s all good.

Interview with Pam Bennett

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Pam Bennett, an American advocate for the LGBT community, politician, military veteran, and blogger. Hello Pam!

Pam: Hello from Annapolis, Maryland U.S.A. Happy to be here.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Pam: Asking a politician (former, but never say never) to say only a few words is like asking the sun to not shine too much today. My first thought every day is that I am the luckiest person on earth. The job I do is a lot of fun, enhanced by wonderful co-workers and bosses who care about their employees.
I live on a beautiful little peninsula, southeast of Annapolis, in the Chesapeake Bay. My cat, Boo, loves sailing on my boat. All of this is what I think of each morning because I also temper my happiness knowing that so many transgender people around the world cannot even dream of my world. I have had a great life, too many downs, but a lot of ups to make it interesting.

Interview with Naomi Ceder

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Naomi Ceder, an American Python language programmer, blogger, transgender activist, lead software architect and developer at Razor Occam, former IT Director and Python developer at Zoro Tools, Fellow of the Python Software Foundation, and the author of The Quick Python Book. Hello Naomi!

Naomi: Hi Monika! Thanks for interviewing me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Naomi: As my intro says, I’m a Python developer and systems architect. I’m currently working in London and Düsseldorf, which has been a lot of fun. 

Monika: Being a Python guru, how would you explain the importance of this programming language to persons that are not IT experts?

Naomi: I doubt I’m a guru, although most people who know me would probably say I’ve always been a teacher. Python is a very powerful and readable language that is also fairly easy to learn. It’s also a high level language, meaning you can get more done with less code. All of that makes it enormously useful in all sorts of areas – web applications, big data, scientific computing, day-to-day administration, etc. It continues to grow in popularity; for example, it’s one of the top languages at Google.

Interview with Jennifer Chavez

Monika: It is my pleasure and honor to interview Jennifer Michelle Chavez a transgender activist and master auto technician from the USA. Hello Jennifer!

Jennifer: Hello Monika and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you!

Monika: Could you please say a few words about yourself?

Jennifer: I would be happy too! I am a 57-year-old woman who made the decision to transition 5 years ago! I finally found the courage to face my condition after 52 years and a whole lifetime of stress and turmoil! I knew I was different as early as 4 years of age, and as I grew I learned more about it and what it was called.

I tried to transition when I was a teenager and moved away to Los Angeles from my native Texas, but was thwarted by the many obstacles I encountered. My only regret at this point is that I wish I could have done it back then, but I would not have the greatest gift a person can have and that is my son Cody!