Interview with Alicia Jane Ryder

Monika: Alicia Jane Ryder, an American trans activist and former US Government official, is my lovely guest today. Hello Alicia! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Alicia: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alicia: I am a 71-year-old transgender woman, completely transitioned through surgeries, 7 sessions, 57 hours total. Retired from Government service after 51 years total, 26 for the feds and the balance for the state of Oregon.

Monika: What inspired you to be an LGBT advocate?

Alicia: I and my wife are both transgender. Together for 25 years married one day after it became legal.

Monika: How did you meet your wife? Was it love at first sight?

Alicia: We were both working on social issues and got a committee assignment together.

Interview with Bernadette Wagenblast

Monika: Bernadette Wagenblast, also known as The Voice of the Subway, is an American transportation journalist, radio personality, and voice-over artist. She is the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications Newsletter and the voice of various transportation facilities in New York City, such as the AirTrain and the Subway. She was active in her college’s radio station, WSOU, where she served as the news director and station manager. She also appeared on several New York City radio stations over five years, including WINS and WABC. She later joined the New York City Department of Transportation, where she helped to establish the city’s first transportation communications center. Hello Bernadette! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Bernadette: Thank you for the invitation, Monika!

Monika: Your voice is known to all the New Yorkers using the Subway. Is it easy to live with the voice that is so ubiquitous in New York?

Bernadette: I’m thankful for that voice. I’ve done more with it than I ever imagined and because of it I now have a platform to share my story. I hope by sharing my narrative more people will have a greater understanding of those of us who are trans. I’m putting a face to being trans for something that is part of many New Yorker’s daily lives.

Interview with Lucy Sante

Monika: Lucy Sante is a well-known Belgian-born American writer, critic, and artist. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books and the author of several books, including “Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York” (1991) and “The Other Paris” (2015). Until her retirement in 2023, she was also a professor of writing and the history of photography at Bard College. In 2024, she published her transition memoir “I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition”. Hello Lucy! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Lucy: Thanks for inviting me! I’ve dipped into your blog many times over the past five or ten years, and it has helped me see the great variety of transgender experiences.

Monika: Thank you so much! I am always happy to help my sisters. You are a very prolific writer. What makes someone a good writer?

Lucy: Close attention to language and its nuances; a sense of adventure and exploration about writing itself, quite apart from the subject matter.

Interview with Hazel Krebs

Monika: Hazel Krebs, a proud American transgender woman and a mother of two incredible kids, is my lovely guest today. Hazel is a writer, speaker, and transadvocate. She is the author of “Enthusiastically Me“ (2024), a book about her journey towards womanhood. Hello Hazel! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Hazel: Thank you, Monika! I am ecstatic for this opportunity!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hazel: Sure! My name is Hazel, and I am unapologetically me! Recently, I published a book that discusses the hardships I faced after growing up in a world that didn’t know the real me.

In the beginning, I was assigned male at birth in Omaha, Nebraska. I grew up in what I consider a fairly typical midwestern situation, characterized by traditional expectations, which influenced me into adulthood. I went to college, found someone I eventually married, then had two kids. I adore my kids and co-parent, from whom I have since separated. These are the three most important people in my life.

Interview with Vanessa Joy

Monika: Today I have invited Vanessa Joy, an American podcast hostess, transactivist, and politician. Vanessa is known for participating in Transcending Humanity, a podcast group of Transgender/Nonbinary/Gender friends, and her Vanesstradiol YouTube channel where she chronicles her transition. A couple of weeks ago, she ran as a Democratic candidate for the Ohio House District 50, but was disqualified from the ballot for omitting her previous name. Joy was one of four transgender candidates running for state office in Ohio, largely in response to proposed restrictions of the rights of LGBTQ+ people. She is also the stepdaughter of GOP state Representative Bill Roemer. Hello Vanessa! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Vanessa: Thank you for reaching out!

Monika: It has been a couple of weeks since you were disqualified from the ballot. It must have been a bitter experience. 

Vanessa: It was very disappointing, yes. I was caught completely off guard; I figured that if I was going to be disqualified it would have been because I did have enough valid signatures. I did have enough, this obscure law was a complete surprise. It was too many people, really, which is why it became such big news for four weeks!

Interview with Veronica Zerrer

Monika: Today I am very happy to present to you the story of a charismatic woman and soldier. Veronica Zerrer grew up on a farm in Kansas and retired from the US Army in 1998 having served nearly twenty three years. She relocated to California after gender transition in 2000. She worked in Intelligence, was a Cavalry Scout, and commanded a company in an Armor Battalion. She held numerous staff jobs at the battalion, brigade, and division levels with the Army’s 1st and 35th Infantry Divisions. She is the author of “Memoirs of a Cold Warrior: A Novel” (2022). Hello Veronica!

Veronica: Hello Monika!

Monika: Did you always want to be a soldier?

Veronica: Oh yes. My earliest memories were of playing soldier, either alone or with my friends. I was fascinated by everything military. I read histories of the World Wars, the American Civil War. I used to listen to and enjoy my father’s stories of his service during the Korean war.

Monika: You must have served in many exotic countries.

Veronica: The most interesting country I served in was Türkiye. The most enjoyable was being stationed on Guam. The coldest. Winter in Japan. The best coffee I ever have had in my life was in Germany. I’ve traveled to the Philippines, The Republic of China - Taiwan, Italy, Greece, and France.

Interview with Erica Taylor

Monika: Today I have invited Erica Taylor, also known as Erica Cherry, an American adult movie actress, artist, performer, and a proud transgender woman. Hello Erica! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Erica: You are very welcome! I'm happy to be interviewed alongside so many of the other inspirations and icons you have interviewed so far.

Monika: You seem to be a woman of many talents. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Erica: I suppose I really enjoy learning how to do things! Learning is sort of an addiction for me and so I've picked up a bunch of skills that sometimes help in my life and other times are just fun. I especially have a life-long habit and interest in composing music, I definitely love to develop myself in that way.

Monika: We all pay the highest price for the fulfillment of our dreams to be ourselves. As a result, we lose our families, friends, jobs, and social positions. Did you pay such a high price as well? What was the hardest thing about your coming out?

Erica: The hardest thing was absolutely the reaction of my family to my transition, I would say that I lost everything, but it also set me free in a sort of way.

Interview with Teegan Toftely

Monika: Today I am chatting with Teegan Toftely, an American woman who chronicles her transition on social media. Hello Teegan! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Teegan: It’s my pleasure!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Teegan: Of course, Monika! My name is Teegan Toftely. I’m a 54-year-old trans woman living in the United States in the Midwest State of Minnesota. I live in the Twin Cities area. It's been my home for a very long time.

I work in the tech industry and have done so for over 20 years. Before that, I was an attorney. After working in a law firm for a few years, I came to find that I just didn't have the passion or the temperament for the work. After quitting the firm, I sent myself adrift for a while. During that time, I discovered that I had a knack for tech, so I took it upon myself to get the skills I needed. In a fairly short amount of time, I was able to earn about the same amount as I was in the law, but I was no longer conflicted.

Interview with Hayley Rose

Monika: Today I am chatting with Hayley Rose, an American woman who chronicles her transition on social media. Hello Hayley! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Hayley: Hello Monika and all the readers!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hayley: Hello I am Hayley Rose, I am an American Transgender woman. I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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

Hayley: I share my story so any trans person can hear my story or in fact, any person cisgender, nonbinary or trans, as a strength to be our authentic selves, and hopefully it will inspire anyone to be their true self. It is never too late. I am approaching middle age and started the transition 7-8 months ago.

Interview with Tilly Bridges

Monika: Tilly Bridges is an American writer of teleplays, comics, screenplays, and a pioneer of audio dramas. Along with her wife and creative partner, Susan Bridges, they are a married trans woman/cis woman writing team in Hollywood and their works include head writing for the 2021 Hugo Awards, 2023 Nebula Awards, writing for the new Monster High animated series, more than half a dozen comic anthologies, their unscripted podcast Tilly’s Trans Tuesdays and the Star Trek Adventures and Fallout role-playing games. She is the author of “Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of the Matrix” (2023). Hello Tilly! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Tilly: Thank you so much for asking! I’m delighted to be chatting with you.

Monika: Before we talk about the trans allegories of Matrix, I want to ask you about your teenage years and the start of your professional career. Did you always know that writing would be your vocation?

Tilly: No, not at all. In the time and place where I grew up, being a screenwriter wasn’t something anybody had ever heard of or knew how to do. I would write a few stories on my own, and would love getting to write fiction for assignments in English class in school, but that was the extent of it. I wanted to know so badly how to write for movies and television, but that wasn’t an avenue that was open to me. I initially went to college studying for a dual major in chemistry and physics, but I grew disillusioned with it pretty quickly. That’s when the writing bug really bit me and there was no turning back.

Interview with with Riley

Monika: Today I am chatting with Riley, an American woman who chronicles her transition on social media. Hello Riley! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Riley: Of course, thank you for the invitation.

Monika: Could you please introduce yourself and your background? 

Riley: I am not sure where to begin, but I will try to keep it brief. I am a 25-year-old wife and mother. I was a lifelong member of the Mormon church and even voluntarily worked for them full-time for two years across Southern Japan in my early adulthood. However, from as young as I can remember, I have had gender dysphoria. This caused internal hatred, pain, and confusion because Mormons aren’t allowed to transition and are told that God doesn’t make mistakes with gender. I felt completely alone and broken. As an adult, after much study of the religion’s historical inaccuracies, I was able to deconstruct my belief in the Mormon church. Once I left the religion, I realized transition was now an option, but felt like it was too late since my wife was expecting and I was worried that transition would cause a divorce and complicate my son’s life. After my son was born, the dysphoria-induced depression reached its peak.

Interview with Christina Vegas

Monika: Christina Vegas is my lovely guest today. Christina is an American singer and multi-vocal impersonator and has traveled the globe performing her variety show. She’s been a featured headliner on international cruise ships, casino showrooms, corporate events and USO tours of Bosnia and Kosovo, where she performed her one-person show for both the US and UN Peace Keeping Forces. She is the author of "Transformative Surgeries: What to Expect at Each Surgical Stage of your Transgender Journey" (2023). Hello Christina! 

Christina: Hi Monika! Thank you for reaching out.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Christina: I’m a middle-aged trans woman currently living in Canada. I’m a writer, performer, and producer, and I have two amazing daughters.

Monika: When did you decide to become a professional singer?

Christina: I’ve always loved singing. I was in a band when I was 16 and went on to study musical theatre in college. I’ve been a professional singer since then but I also write and produce film and theatre projects.

Interview with Revnika

Monika: Today I am chatting with Revnika, a Filipino lady living in the USA who chronicles her transition on social media. Hello Revnika! Thank you for accepting my invitation. 

Revnika: It’s an honor, Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Revnika: I’m from Pangasinan Philippines, and have traveled around since my father was in the Navy. I have lived in some countries and the US. Currently living in Oregon, and finally working on my goals to be the better person I was meant to be, my true self.

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

Revnika: I didn’t realize there were people like me who felt out of place so young, trying to find answers, and continuously finding my true self. Somehow just browsing the web and watching videos I came across stories and timelines that I relate with. My depression was getting worse, that it got out of hand, and I needed to find help. 39 years of my life I was not happy, and I needed to do something about it. I’m 42 now, and I wanted to be as inspiring as others who have helped me through the hardest times in my life, no one should ever feel lost, or alone. 

Interview with Caragh

Monika: Today let me share the story of Caragh, an American producer and writer, known for her work on series such as Behind the Music, The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn, The Queen Latifah Show, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. She’s won two Emmy Awards for her work on the latter series. She has also worked as a reporter for People Magazine, executive editor at TV Guide Magazine and as a freelance correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, Emmy Magazine, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. She’s also written two books. Hello Caragh! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Caragh: It’s a sincere pleasure to speak to you. I started reading your interviews way back when I was so far back in the closet, even my childhood t-shirts and shoes were easier to find. Seriously, I used them as motivation to transition myself. Your site is incredibly aspirational, and I dreamed of one day being worthy enough to be included. So it’s truly an honor to be with you.

Interview with Yasmin Lee

Monika: It has been 8 years since my first interview with Yasmin Lee, an American entertainer and adult movie actress, TV celebrity, model, and make-up artist. So I am happy to reconnect with Yasmin to talk about what has happened in her life and professional career in recent years.

Hello Yasmin! I am an old woman now and you are still young and beautiful. How have you been doing this?

Yasmin: Wow, it really has been a while! As for staying young, I have no idea. I don’t go out much or drink heavily or do drugs. There’s only so much we can do. We came from nothing, created a life of our own and one day retreat back to dust, leaving a trail of faint memories until one day we are forgotten entirely.

Monika: When we did the first interview in 2015, you could already boast the roles of Kimmy in „The Hangover Part II” (2011) and The Succubus in „Red Ice” (2011), and you won the audition for the role of Ying in Promoted (2015). Are you happy about the way your acting career has progressed since then?

Yasmin: Acting had never really been my focus. It seems that all of the acting roles that came across my path seem to do so with a little luck. To that extent I am happy. So much has happened in my personal life that acting has never been my main priority. There are opportunities that piped up and some you just have to say no to.

Interview with Galen Kirkpatrick

Monika: Today I am taking you to the sky where my guest feels at home and where she is often visible. Galen Kirkpatrick is an American paraglider, former national champion, and world cup tour pilot. She is among the top ten women in the world and this year (for the second time) she will represent the United States in the world championships. She is also an instructor and guide and has had a variety of careers. Hello Galen!

Galen: Hi Monika, thanks for interviewing me. 

Monika: I guess most of us have heard about paragliding but I have not been aware that it is also a sport competition, and you are one of the best paragliding women in the world…

Galen: Many people confuse it with Parasailing or Hangliding. Parasailing is completely different because you are attached to a boat over water. It's great for tourists because it requires no skill. With Hang Gliding or Paragliding, you are using a relatively small lightweight wing that you foot launch from a mountain or a ridge. After launching we use naturally occurring lift, either convective or mechanical to stay in the air without the need for a motor. By using the convective lift (the natural updrafts of warm air the earth creates) it is possible to fly long distances. This discipline or art form is called Free Flying.

Interview with Jessika Janene

Monika: Today I have invited Jessika Janene, an inspirational American woman from Pittsburgh, PA, a creative professional, businesswoman, and founder of Jessika Janene Creative. Hello Jessika! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Jessika: Thank you for interviewing me, Monika. I think this platform you’ve built is amazing and allows all of us trans people to see that we are not alone.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jessika: I am a child of the 70s, born in ‘67 I grew up in the aftermath of the summer of love. I believe now I was always meant to live life as a woman but my egg didn’t crack until 2020. We had no words for it when I was a kid, in hindsight I can see all of the signs I was trans.

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

Jessika: In the beginning of transition I feel it is important to try out your new self, to dress the part and walk the walk. Feedback and being seen are important. It felt safer than going out and testing my new look and persona in real life. I was petrified and felt like an imposter at first. I used Reddit and then Instagram to introduce myself to mostly kind people on those platforms. I also think it is a duty to be visible for other trans people just beginning their journey. If I can do it, so can anyone else!

Interview with Jaycee Frances

Monika: Today I have the pleasure of presenting to you a talented musician from the sunny state of California. Jaycee Frances is an American guitarist and former member of such bands as Chaintown, The Next, Crucifix, Proudflesh, The White Trash Debutantes, Piston and Fang. Hello Jaycee! Rock & Roll never dies, Sister!

Jaycee: Hello Monika, Yes! Rock & Roll lives forever. It’s a pleasure meeting you and thank you for inviting me to be part of your focus on the wonders of Transgender.

Monika: How did you become a guitarist? Do you remember your first guitar?

Jaycee: My first guitar was a snare drum and sticks! Lol… I started out as a drummer and one of my two older sisters Kim had an acoustic guitar and I sorta borrowed it like I did her clothing and bicycle and made it my guitar. I painted it blue and I put fuzzy hang ten surfer feet stickers on it to disguise it. (This was in the 1970s) so that was my first guitar. Then my dad bought me a cherry red 1967 Gibson SG special and I traded it for a Flying V.

Interview with Kay

Monika: Today I have invited Kay. She is an American whitewater kayaker, urbanist, dad, and pizza lover that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Kay! Thank you for accepting my invitation.

Kay: Thank you, Monika, for inviting me to chat with you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Kay: of course, I’m a 47-year-old trans woman, who started transitioning in 2021. I live in a rural part of New York State though I grew up in NYC and spent about 10 years in Washington DC.

Monika: Whitewater kayaking sounds like a challenging hobby.

Kay: It really isn’t. I’ve been kayaking since 1990. Like many things it takes practice - nobody starts off being comfortable upside down, underwater encased in a kayak. But learning to kayak is a process of confronting fears, planning outcomes, and figuring out what went wrong so that we do better next time. We start with easy water and build skill and confidence as we work up to more and more challenging whitewater. The point is that it should be fun at every stage.

Interview with Dana Paige

Monika: Today I have invited Dana Paige, an American lady that documents her transition on social media. Hello Dana! Thank you for accepting my invitation. 

Dana: Thank you for asking!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Dana: Sure. I'm a 63 yrs old Trans Woman. I started my transition during the middle of the Covid shutdown in 2020. In some ways, that seclusion was helpful to me in my transition. I moved rather quickly, because within my first year of transition and starting HRT, I had multiple gender confirming surgeries. Yep, it was fast. For me it was like, the minute I knew my truth I thought to myself “I’m 60 years old and not getting any younger”, so I just took that leap of faith. That first year was very difficult as I think it is for most of us.

For me, my specific results and renewed sense of myself were totally worth the time, pain, and money… but going through that “eye of the needle” is humbling, to say the least.

Anyway, since then I have been posting about myself and my journey on Social Media sites like Reddit etc. and developed a following of people who are inspired to take the leap and/or to keep going at a later age as I did… and they give me a sense of purpose in return.