Interview with Marissa du Bois

Monika: Today my guest is Marissa du Bois, an American software engineer working on AAA Games for a fortune 50 company. She is an award-winning LEGO maker and contributor to CodeProject.com. She is the inventor of multiple DIY LEGO electronic devices including two point-and-shoot cameras, a digital picture frame, a LEGO computer, and a self-orienting panoramic camera. Marissa has contributed multiple props for a series of commercials for the LEGO group. Marissa is an Ally-Award winning corporate LGBT employee resource group leader and helped influence an Amicus Brief in support of Bostock vs. Clayton County as well as the Business Statement for Transgender Equality. She is an avid gardener and lives in Oregon with her husband of 10 years. Hello Marissa!

Marissa: Hi thanks for interviewing me. I read your interviews frequently and I appreciate the candid first-person perspective of the people you feature.

Monika: How are you holding up in these crazy pandemic times?

Marissa: Doing well, got my first vaccine dose, and hopefully seeing the light at the end of the tunnel soon. The quarantine has allowed me to focus a lot of my energy on engineering, gardening, and 3D printing hobbies, but I’m looking forward to getting out and spreading my wings soon.

Interview with Ella Baker

Monika: Today I have invited Ella Baker, a Korean-American model, poet, Zen student in the Kwan Um School of Zen, and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Ella!

Ella: 안녕! Hi! Thanks so much for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ella: I’m a second-generation Korean American and a queer transgender woman of faith. I manage college programs for high schools throughout California and am finishing my Doctorate in Education at the University of Southern California this year. My research specialty is in belonging and how a sense of belonging impacts academic, psychological, and social outcomes. My dissertation specifically focuses on transgender college students and I’m hoping to provide colleges with student-centered data to improve their climates and policies.

Interview with Ritz Scarlet Arbuckle

Monika: Today I am going to interview Ritz Scarlet Arbuckle, an American video games and sound design specialist from Seattle that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Ritz!

Ritz: Hi Monika, thanks for inviting me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ritz: Sure! I'm a 28-year-old musician, gamer, and streamer! Gaming and music have always been my passions so I combined them and got a Bachelor's of Art in Music and Sound Design with a focus on video games. I play double bass and bass guitar, along with a smidge of keyboard and singing.

After coming out I've started considering myself something of a fashionista! Fashion is easily up there alongside games and music for me now that I am comfortable exploring the aesthetics I've admired for so long! I'm presently on a hiatus from my sound work to be at Starbucks, as their transgender benefits are one of the very best in the country and it's a wonderfully progressive company to work for. I also stream games on Twitch on the side.

Interview with Amber Rose Washington

Monika: Today I am meeting Amber Rose Washington, an American author, songwriter, musician, producer, public speaker, and advocate for the transgender community originally from Liberty, New York. Amber has been featured on FOX, NBC, CBS, NPR, and a host of other media. In 2020 she published her memoir "Hiding from Myself: My Complicated Rebirth Into Womanhood and My Own Skin". Her new Podcast, "THE JOURNEY, Unscripted" is scheduled to begin airing in April 2021. Hello Amber!

Amber: Hello Monika! It’s nice to be here.

Monika: You are a woman of many talents. I have listed so many of your professions and interests. I am wondering which one you are most eager to pursue.

Amber: I’ve done many things in my life, partially due to what I call, self-inflicted Occupational ADD. I kept myself busy so I would have very little time dwelling on my incongruity. I spent nearly three decades in the music business.

Music was a perfect outlet for me. I began writing music at about the age of thirteen and was fortunate to have several successes along the way. Although I will always be a songwriter, I really enjoy writing stories as well as helping others tell their stories.

Interview with Marcie Primrose

Monika: Today I am going to interview Marcie Primrose, an American vlogger that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Marcie!

Marcie: Hey Monika! It's wonderful to meet you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Marcie: I'm a gal on a gender journey. I've spent my entire adult life exploring who I want to be. It's a bit daunting to realize you can be whoever you want. Now I'm a punk-goth-pastel-fem-Egirl sharing her body with the world. I want everyone to know that a woman can look like me too.

Monika: Marcie is a nice name. Why did you choose it?

Marcie: I'm a huge Adventure Time fan. My favorite character is Marceline, a powerful sapphic vampire. What more could I ask for in a character? I shortened that to Marcie to sound less formal.

Interview with Adriana Roberts

Monika: Today I am going to interview Adriana Roberts, an American performer, DJ, event producer, and model. She is the founder and Queen Mother of Bootie Mashup, a nightlife and music brand dedicated to the art form of the pop mashup, producing theme parties and live streams. Hello Adriana!

Adriana: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Adriana: Sassy, smart, and sexy. There, that’s a few.

Monika: Adriana is a nice name. Why did you choose it?

Adriana: How do you know I wasn’t born with it? Actually, the name is a variation of a character’s name from the 1981 cult film “Liquid Sky.” 

Monika: I always wanted to have dreadlocks like you. How long have you been wearing them?

Adriana: After Burning Man 2003, my hair was already dreading, from all the dust storms that year out in the desert. Rather than deal with untangling it, my stylist suggested I just go all the way with it (but with better salon care, of course). And the rest is history. I’ve had dreadlocks ever since.