Interview with Darlene

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Darlene, an American woman from Michigan, USA, who works as a transformation coach for software development organizations, who shares her transition story on social media. Hello Darlene! 

Darlene: Hello Monika! Thank you for this opportunity to speak and share my story on your site.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Darlene: Sure! I’m 49 and the proud parent of two daughters, ages 19 & 18. Besides spending time with my kids, I love traveling around the US and Canada, cooking, riding roller coasters, and playing video games. In 2021, I began dating an amazing woman who got me to give mountain biking a try and I am loving that activity too!

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments via social media?

Darlene: From my earliest days of viewing the trans community on social media, I saw it as an amazing way to connect with others in a similar situation. What we all go through with transition isn’t easy! Irrespective of where we live around the world, our backgrounds, our life interests, or our age differences, we form bonds over this major life event.

Interview with Lucy Keogh

Monika: Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Lucy Keogh, an American tattoo and body artist from Spokane, Washington, and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Lucy!

Lucy: Hello Monika, thank you so much for inviting me, I am so honored and elated about this opportunity!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lucy: Yes, I would love to. I am turning 32 years young this year, this year also is my 15th year of being a tattoo artist. I am super excited about that. I was born here in Washington but grew up moving around the PNW, spending the majority of time in Montana when I was younger. I moved to Washington in 2019 to start my medical transition, which I started on 25 September 2019, and I moved to Spokane in March of 2020.

I have been tirelessly working on getting established as a Reputable artist in the area, to eventually open up my own Storefront to do tattooing and sell merchandise. Specifically oriented to serving the LGBTQA+ community, as there is a very small presence for us in the tattoo industry here and I would love to change that.

Interview with Erin Dees

Monika: Today my guest is Erin Dees, an inspirational woman from Ontario, Canada. Erin is a programmer, engineer, and coach. She has written or co-written five books on programming. Erin lives with her wife, their youngest son, and their cranky Corgi mix. At one time, their household included a menagerie of kids, dogs, cats, chickens, and goats. But the older kids graduated and started their own lives, and the goats eventually ran out of grass to eat and moved on to a family with a bigger yard. Hello Erin!

Erin: Hi! Thanks for having me on your site. It's an honor to be included among so many trans people I've looked up to.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Erin: Sure! I grew up in Texas as a goofy, sensitive child. I got to try computer programming at a school day camp in grade six and was instantly hooked. It felt like magic to type words on the screen and see things happen as a result!

I also love spoken languages after taking French in high school and German at university. I took a one-semester break from engineering and studied in Berlin, which gave me enough credits to sneak a German degree into my graduation plan.

Interview with Aleks

Monika: Today I am going to have a conversation with Aleks, an American esthetician, former male model, and proud transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Aleks!

Aleks: Hello! Thank you for interviewing me. It’s an honor to be a part of your blog.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Aleks: Being a visible trans woman on social media has helped me spread love, support, hope and education within and outside of the LGBT community. After a viral birthday post last summer, which attracted millions of views across Instagram and Reddit, it connected me with so many people struggling the way I have. The messages that I inspired someone to be themselves were beyond heartwarming. With that new little platform led to being interviewed and sharing my story on a global platform.

It’s my intention to help others understand the medical and psychological causes of gender dysphoria. This will help us gain access to lifesaving and affirming care, and overcome discrimination.

Being transgender is not a choice. I’m no celebrity. Ultimately just a proud 25-year-old trans woman with a big heart. But most people couldn’t begin to fathom just what it took to bring me into this world.

Interview with Kym

Monika: Today I am going to chat with Kym, an American software engineer and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Kym!

Kym: Hi Monika! It is a pleasure to chat with you. Your blog was an inspiration for me many years ago, when I thought it would be impossible for me to transition.

Monika: I am always happy when my blog can help or inspire others! Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kym: Well, although I’ve had some understanding that I’m trans since I was a child, it wasn’t until my early 50s that I actually started to transition. I did a lot of stuff in the meantime, including military, construction work, getting a PhD and starting a couple of companies. Now, I have a somewhat normal job as a software engineer, and do what I can to support my local trans community.

Monika: How did you choose Kym for your name?

Kym: In a way, it chose me. When I was around 10, I had an overnight at a friend's house. That friend had a sister named Kim who was at a friend's house. At some point their mother shouted up the stairs, “Kim, are you home?” “Kim” was similar to my dead name and I misheard her and thought she was talking to me. I yelled back, “yes!” and we ended up having a whole conversation with her thinking I was her daughter, and me confused, but agreeable.