Interview with with Tyler Keane

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Tyler Keane, an American teacher and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Tyler!

Tyler: Hello Monika, I wanted to start off by thanking you for doing these interviews to help raise awareness for the transgender community.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Tyler: I just recently turned 24 years old, I work at an elementary school, with passions for photography and skateboarding.

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on social media?

Tyler: I started posting about my transition on social media because at the beginning of my transition I was very alone. I didn’t personally know any transgender people at the time. I wanted to be able to share my experiences with other people, as well as learn about what other people have experienced.

Interview with Jolene

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Jolene, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Jolene!

Jolene: Hello Monika! Thank you for reaching out to me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jolene: Certainly. I'm 34 years old, living in western Nebraska. I began my transition in private at the end of 2019 and started HRT in March of 2020. I came out publicly in June and I've been living my truth out and proud ever since!

Monika: Jolene is such a nice name. How come you chose this particular name?

Jolene: It was actually the name of my first D&D character many years ago. Most people think it’s because of the Dolly Parton song but I had actually never heard the song until after I’d chosen it. I don’t know how I missed it but I did!

Interview with Lily (bamb00unicorn)

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Lily, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com and Instagram, transgender activist, and film enthusiast. Hello Lily!

Lily: Hi! I’m flattered that you asked to interview me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lily: Well, I’m a 24-year-old transgender woman who loves movies, is extremely sarcastic, and optimistic!

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on social media?

Lily: I started using Instagram and Reddit as online spaces where I could be myself. I grew up in a conservative town in Michigan where there wasn’t really much of an LGBTQ community. I couldn’t be out there, so Instagram became a safe space for me to express myself and document my transition.

Interview with Gabrielle Claiborne

Monika: For today's interview I have invited an inspirational woman from Georgia in the USA. Gabrielle Claiborne is a successful businesswoman that owned and operated successful businesses in the construction industry, overseeing multi-million dollar projects nationwide. She is a co-founder and CEO of Transformation Journeys Worldwide, an inclusion training and consulting firm with a transgender focus. Gabrielle received many awards and honors for her transgender activism, including Atlanta’s 2015 Best Trans Activist, Emory University’s 2018 Alum of the Year Pride Award, and the 2019 Outstanding Voice for Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. She is the author of ‘Embrace Your Truth: A Journey of Authenticity’ (2020), a TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in Forbes. Hello Gabrielle!

Gabrielle: Hi Monika! Thank you for the opportunity to be featured today.

Monika: How are you doing in these crazy pandemic times?

Gabrielle: Monika, we are definitely living in challenging times, a time when everyone’s safety, sense of belonging, and connection with family, friends, and well-being is being challenged unlike never before. In the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges, we’re all being called on to find ways to survive, many times, moment-by-moment, one day at a time.

Interview with Cassandra Heart

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Cassandra Heart, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com. Hello Cassandra!

Cassandra: Hi there! I feel really honored I was asked to do this.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cassandra: I am a software engineer with a deep passion for cryptography, machine learning, and distributed systems. I’m also married and polyamorous.

Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on social media?

Cassandra: When I was young, my exposure to transgender people was entirely through mainstream media depictions, which were frequently unfavorable. While the world is thankfully a much more understanding and accepting place today with significantly more positive depictions seeing time in the spotlight, the actual process of transition, what to expect strictly from hormone therapy versus additional procedures, is not as open.

Interview with Lindsey

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Lindsey, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on Instagram and Reddit.com. Hello Lindsey!

Lindsey: Hi Monika! As someone who has read your blog, it is an honor to do this interview with you!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lindsey: I am a 35-year-old intersex and transgender woman. I have a wife and two amazing kids, have started several businesses and brands, I model and I am an advocate for LGBT+ rights whenever I can be. I started transitioning when I was 32.