Interview with Jennifer Lydon

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jennifer (Bryant) Lydon, a senior account executive at Metro US — a free daily newspaper popular in New York, Philadelphia and Boston; She is also the organizer of the Mid-Atlantic Transgender Community (M.A.T.C.) as well as the hostess of The Raven TG pride events in New Hope, PA. Hello Jennifer!

Jennifer: Hi Monika. Thank you so much for allowing me part of your site. It is an honor to be amongst so many inspirational people.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Jennifer: Questions like this are always tough for me… I either say too much or have nothing to say… lol … Anyway, here goes… I am a 48 year old trans-woman that has successfully navigated one life into another. I was married for almost 20 years and have 4 adult children that are still very much a part of my life.
I work as an account executive for Metro News Media. I’ve been there for over 14 years… the first 13 of which I worked as a mild mannered male… lol. Times have changed for sure!

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 Venus de Mars

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Venus de Mars, a transgender artist from Minnesota, poet, singer, songwriter, painter, and leader of the punk-glam band All the Pretty Horses. Hello Venus!

Venus: Hey Monika ;)

Monika: When did you decide that music will be your profession?

Venus: Ha! OK... well Hmm. I guess it started as a desire way back when I was a kid... you know. The glamour... seeing the portrayals, lifestyles, etc. in media from back then. That kind of attracted me to it all...but I was way too shy to sing... I didn't think I could really, so I just concentrated on playing the guitar. Started on acoustic when I was like 10 years old... and did basic lessons, but I branched out on my own and tried to learn classical, and flamenco... all that stuff, but rock still called to me.

Interview with Natalie Colleen Gates

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Natalie Colleen Gates, an American writer, blogger, the author of Straight Boy/Queer Girl: A Memoir. Hello Natalie! 

Natalie: Hi Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Natalie: Oh my God, I'm so bad at things like that. You'd think being a blogger and having just written a memoir I'd be better at it. I don't know: I'm 32. I live with my dog Victoria Elizabeth in Richmond, Virginia.

Monika: Why did you decide to write your autobiography “Straight Boy/Queer Girl: A Memoir“ (2014)?

Natalie: To make money [laughing] at first. I've been blogging for a long time and people for the most part like my writing I thought I should take some of the energy I put into blogging and write a book. As I got into the project I realized it was important because I was writing the trans* memoir I wish existed before I transitioned.

All the memoirs I've read start with the trans* person in the present after they've transitioned. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to share my experience of thinking I might transition but not being sure about it. I really wanted to share with my readers how I came to the conclusion that I needed to transition.

I also wanted to share how what I was going through as a closeted trans* person was similar and how it was different from other closeted people's experiences.

Interview with Kathryn Camfield

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Kathryn Camfield, a blogger, writer, former radio announcer, and transgender ally from Reno NV. Hello Kathryn! 

Kathryn: Hi Monika, and thanks for your interest in me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kathryn: A few words? I laugh because my wife Cindy would be saying “be careful what you wish for.” Anyhow, I’m a transgender ally. An experienced crossdresser since 1957, I have lived and worked as a woman, on and off, since 1998. I reside in Reno NV with my wife, Cindy. I was a radio announcer for about 34 years in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, and Florida. In addition, I have written four published books and I taught people how to write books, on America Online, for 7 years. I have played guitar, bass guitar, and djembe (a hand drum) and have worked on various computers since 1986.

Since I came out in 1998, I have worked as a woman. First, (1998-2005) as office manager and workshop coordinator for Mark Allison Acting Workshops in Pasadena, California. Secondly, (2005-2013) Supervisor of store operations for Las Vegas HQ, a chain of souvenir shops in four Las Vegas casinos (Tropicana, MGM Grand, New York New York, Excalibur).

Interview with Bobbie Lang

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Bobbie Lang, a transgender activist from the USA, businesswoman, blogger, Viet Nam veteran, and the author of "Transgender Christian in Chains". Hello Bobbie!

Bobbie: Hi Monika, thank you so much for asking me to be part of this wonderful group of people who are doing so much to advance the acceptance and civil rights of the trans community.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Bobbie: Well to start with I started my transition in 1981 and had GRS in 1984. At that time the term “transgender” had not even been coined yet. We were called transsexuals and even the professional community knew very little of this dysphoria. Many of the medical and therapeutic specialists thought this disorder could be alleviated with extensive and lengthy psychological treatment. Sadly, I find this approach is still widely believed within most denominational Christian churches.

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!

Interview with Denise Brogan-Kator

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Denise Brogan-Kator, a lawyer, transgender activist, Senior Legislative Counsel for the Family Equality Council, a national LGBT rights organization, the former Executive Director of Equality Michigan, co-founder of the Rainbow Law Center, recipient of the 2009 Pride Banquet Committee’s Choice Award, businesswoman, U.S. Navy Submarine Force veteran. Hello Denise!

Denise: Hello, Monika! Thank you for having me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Denise: Well, the thing that is most present for me, these days, is the birth of my first granddaughter. So, despite all my accomplishments and activities, being a grandmother is currently my most important and most exciting job. And, family is – and has always been – at the root of my passions. It is such a natural fit for me to work for the Family Equality Council.

Interview with Felicia Elizondo

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Felicia Elizondo, also known as Felicia Flames, a transgender pioneer, diva, icon, and a Screaming Queen, 27 years survivor of AIDS and a Vietnam Veteran - one of the participants of the 1966 Compton's Cafeteria Riot, which was one of the first documented instances of transgender resistance to authority in the USA. Hello Felicia!

Felicia: Hello Monika and thank you for interviewing me, it is an honor for me.

Monika: I must say you can boast one of the most impressive LGBT legends. The Compton's Cafeteria Riot occurred in August 1966, so it preceded the more infamous 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. However, it is not so well-known …

Felicia: You have to remember it was in the 1960s, and a lot of people thought we were sick, mental, trash and nobody cared whether we lived or died. Our own families abandoned us, and we had nowhere to go. And we were tired of the police harassing us because of who we were meant to be.

We were murdered, killed, thrown in jail, raped, and thrown out like trash by our families and friends. And in those days, I hear that the mafia had control of the TL, and all documents to this day were lost and no record of that day survived except for an unknown newsletter that documented that day. And nothing else.

Interview with Allison Woolbert

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Allison Woolbert, a transgender activist from the USA, Air Force veteran, founder of The Transgender Violence Tracking Portal - a database to track crimes targeting transgender people, and the Executive Director of the Transgender Human Rights Institute. Hello Allison!

Allison: Hi Monika- First, thank you so much for selecting me for being a heroine. It is truly an honor to be able to do an interview with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Allison: Well, I grew up in Silver Bell, Arizona, a remote copper mining community (now a ghost town) where I never quite fit in. I ended up in the Air Force where I absolutely didn’t fit in, and in 2008, I began the process of transition. I finally feel whole as a person, and feel that I truly fit into myself. I’m the CEO of Phoenix Consultants Group, a software development company. I’m also the Founder of the Transgender Violence Tracking Portal and the new Executive Director of the Transgender Human Rights Institute.

Interview with Gia Versace

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Gia Versace, an American entertainer and beauty pageant queen. Hello Gia!

Gia: Aloha Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Gia: Sure, I was born and raised on the windward side of Oahu in a city called Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Monika: When did you decide that you would like to be a stage artist?

Gia: My fascination with the stage began when I took a drama class in high school and it became really clear that I wanted to be a showgirl when I saw my first drag show in a night club called Venus.

Monika: Could you name some of the venues and shows in which you participated?

Gia: I have done shows and many fundraisers and night clubs such as Venus, which is now called Bar 7, and I am currently a showgirl at Fusions Waikiki (home of the two longest-running female impersonation shows in Hawaii).

Interview with Lora G

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Lora G, a Hollywood, California - based composer, guitarist, and keyboardist, co-founder of Lunden Reign. Hello Lora G!

Lora G: Hi Monika, thank you for reaching out to me.

Monika: When did you decide that music would be your way of life?

Lora G: I started performing at the age of 13 in Orange County, California. By 16 I started performing on the Sunset Strip scene in Hollywood. The amazing Matt Sorum (Velvet Revolver, Guns N’ Roses, The Cult) was my drummer in high school. By 18, I had the luck to be involved in finding guitar sounds for Stevie Wonder’s album “Secret Life of Plants.”

However, at 19 I left music to go to college. I didn’t return to music until after an amazing Emmy-winning career in television and radio including working for Disney for over 14 years. I returned to music about 7 years ago after realizing how much I missed it.

Interview with Kristine Holt

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Kristine Holt, a transgender activist from the USA, speaker, author, lawyer, graduate of Temple University School of Law, a former judicial clerk at the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, successful litigant in civil-rights cases. Hello Kristine!

Kristine: Hello!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kristine: Sure. I’m a parent, a grandparent, a spouse, an attorney, and a musician. I lean far-left on most political and social issues – a throw-back radical hippy freak, if you will. I transitioned in 1992 when there were just enough of us out and about to make people uncomfortable. I’ve had a fun and sometimes frightening life, and I hope to be around for a while longer.

Interview with Jessica Bussert

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jessica Bussert, an American emergency room nurse, firefighter, professional photographer, inventor, and former IT professional. Hello Jessica!

Jessica: Hi Monika! Sorry for taking so long in getting this together. I've recently had a few major surgeries and have been laid-up with recovery.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jessica: "A few words about myself" *grins*.

Monika: It has been almost 10 years since you were demoted from your senior IT job at Hitachi Data Systems after you started your transition. Are you still bitter about it? 

Jessica: Well, just to set the record straight, the company claimed that I was not demoted. It was their assertion that everyone else had been promoted above me. Yeah... Right... Am I bitter? Yeah, a little bit when I'm having a bad day. That said, I try to focus on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives. If things hadn't turned out the way they did then I would have never discovered nursing. And I -love- being an ER nurse!

Interview with Nicole Bray

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Nicole Bray, an inspirational transgender woman from the USA, the main character of the documentary “Untitled Documentary – Nicole’s Story”. Hello Nicole!

Nicole: Hello, Monika! Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me to learn more about my story and about the documentary I am producing.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Nicole: Sure! I am an independent filmmaker currently focusing on documenting my unique life story on film. I observed that my sense of humor is my greatest asset in making my way through the transition. Furthermore, I really enjoy traveling and wish that I had endless funds to do so. Additionally, when I’m not filming movies, I love to watch them encompassing a range of genres. I’m also an avid researcher and spend a great deal of time educating myself about particular topics.
By the way, the title of the documentary, “Untitled Documentary – Nicole’s Story” is temporary. Once we have acquired a Director/Producer/Writer team, we will determine a fitting title for the documentary.

Interview with Jerrine Jeffries

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jerrine Ka’iulani Madayag Calantoc aka Jerrine Jeffries, Former Empress 26/29 of The Imperial Court Of Hawaii, Former Golden Goddess 97 and Queen Of Queens 2000 of The Hawaii Boa Arts Ball Pageant, 2nd Runner up to the Universal Showqueen Pageant Hawaii 2006 & 2007, 4th Runner up to the Continental Elite Beauty Pageant in Chicago 2006 and the presently reigning Miss Fusion Waikiki Honolulu, Also a former cast member of The Paperdoll Revue and The Glades Revue. An American entertainer and beauty pageant queen. Hello Jerrine!

Jerrine: Aloha Monika!

Monika: You look fantastic, Jerrine. What is the secret of your beauty?

Jerrine: My Asian bloodline and my doctors.

Interview with Nicole Garcia

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Nicole Garcia, a transgender activist from the USA. She is currently the vice-chair of the board of ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full-participation, a founding member of Trans* Lutherans, and a member of the advisory committee for the Trans People of Color Coalition. Nicole has held positions on the boards of the Interfaith Working Group and The One Colorado Education Fund and is a former member of the Latino/a Roundtable. Nicole has an MA in Counseling from CU Denver and is in private practice as a mental health counselor in Longmont Colorado. Nicole is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity through Luther Seminary. Hello Nicole! 

Nicole: Hello Monica. It is a pleasure and honor to be here.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nicole: I was born the oldest son in a Mexican-American, Roman Catholic family. I tried very hard for 42 years of my life to live up to the expectations of my family and church. I married a beautiful woman in 1994 and became a law enforcement officer in 1996. I did all I could to prove to everyone that I was a man.

Looking back, I know I was actually trying to prove to myself that I was a man. In 2002, my wife and I divorced. After the divorce, I was suicidal and drinking heavily. I realized my life was a mess and I entered counseling. I found a wonderful therapist who helped me quit drinking and I worked on ending my severe depression. It was early in therapy when I told my counselor of my life-long cross-dressing behavior. She referred me to a support group at the Gender Identity Center of Colorado.

Interview with Mina Caputo

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Mina Caputo, an American singer, the lead singer, and a founding member of the New York heavy metal band Life of Agony. Hello Mina!

Mina: Hi Hun!!! Greetings! Blessings!

Monika: I have just listened to your first solo album as a woman titled “As Much Truth As One Can Bear” (2013) and I like it a lot. I love both lyrics and music. In the first song “Identity” you sing “… I’m sure that I’m not a woman…” It is rather a surprising line from the woman you have always been …

Mina: Well the correct lyrics to one of the verses are: I am not a man/I am not a woman/all I could taste is my burning heart/I’m sure I’m not a man/I’m sure I’m not a woman/all I could wear is a willing smile... It’s true, I identify completely with the feminine, but…

To me, the spirit has no gender. I truly identify with spirit, or consciousness, which is all energies, all knowing, and all not knowing. So to place myself inside of a boxed word(s) or language doesn't really sit well with me.

Interview with Lianne Simon

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Lianne Simon, an American Christian writer, social activist, housewife, and the author of “Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite”. Hello Lianne!

Lianne: Wow! Hi. Thank you so much for asking me. I’m amazed at the number of interviews you’ve done. You go, girl!

Monika: It has been two years since the release of your debut novel titled “Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite” about an intersex teen named Jamie who must ultimately choose between male or female. Were you satisfied with the readers’ acceptance of the book?

Lianne: The book was very personal to me since quite a bit of it was drawn from my own childhood. I wanted to show people, especially fellow Christians, what it felt like to grow up between the sexes. I was a bit disappointed that no major Christian publisher would consider a book about intersex.

However, the reception by readers has been encouraging. I’ve had positive feedback from a wide variety of people, including conservative Christians and LGBT book critics.

Interview with Alison Grillo

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Alison Grillo, a New York City comedian, guest on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010, named by The Advocate as one of “Five Hottest Transgender Comics of 2013” and one of "Seven LGBT Comics You Should Not Have Missed in 2011," and a celebrity judge of the 2013 NYC Pride March. Hello Alison! 

Alison: Hi, Monika. I like the way you spell your name with a k.

Monika: This is how my name is written in my mother tongue. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alison: I do stand-up comedy, sometimes about trans-related issues, sometimes about general issues involving the phenomena of our lives as humans. I like to read literature from 100 or so years ago, go to movies, including those at New York City’s Film Forum, and take long walks in the City.

Sundays will sometimes find me in a pew of a Methodist church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where I’ll be struggling with questions of spirituality, seeking comfort and guidance in the preacher’s sermon, and very often mentally critiquing his/her rhetorical project.