Interview with Carol Mapley

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Carol Mapley, a Scottish nationalist, LGBT activist, and a former policewoman. She served in the RAF’s Observer Corps for 18 years. Her police career started in 1977 when she joined Grampian Police. She is Scottish Labour’s first transgender election candidate for the Castle Douglas and Glenken council seat. Hello Carol!

Carol: Hi Monika! It's lovely to speak to you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about your career so far?

Carol: I’ve had two distinct career strands to date – the police and mental health. I work within the Police Service of Scotland where I help formulate national policy and service delivery in relation to transgendered officers and staff as well as the transgendered people that we the police come into contact with every day in Scotland.

I play an active role in delivering mental health, and trans awareness training at our national police college in Fife. I also serve as a director of a major Scottish mental health charity – Vox Scotland. Vox is a charity that represents the views of mental health service users in the planning and provision of mental health services within Scotland.

Interview with Mikki Whitworth

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Mikki Whitworth, an American transgender writer, author of "Masks of a Superhero", featured in Topside Press‘s “The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard” (2012). Hello Mikki!

Mikki: Hello, thank you for this opportunity to reach out to my readers and the community at large.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Mikki: What can I say about myself? I guess the one part of my life that stands out is that I am a disabled American veteran. I served my country in my youth. Now 25 years later, I am still picking up the pieces of that service. I have been with a wonderful man for 18 years, he has stood by my side through understanding my mental illness, standing next to me through transitioning, and returning to college at nearly 40.

Monika: How did you start writing?

Mikki: I started writing as a way to deal with my illness. I began writing with a group of veterans at my local veteran’s hospital. My first two major works were entered into the VA National Creative Arts Festival. They won silver and bronze medals. I knew I was doing something right and thus began my goal to write more and better, which eventually led to my desire to return to college.

Interview with Azora Alexander

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Azora Alexander, a young American video blogger from North Carolina that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Azora!

Azora: Hello Monika! It is such an honor to be here.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Azora: Well I’m 25 years old, and I live in a small town in North Carolina.

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

Azora: I actually started making videos about 3 years ago. they started as just makeup videos and over time I would talk about various personal things, and so when I decided to make my transition I felt that vlogging about it would not only be therapeutic but also maybe my experiences both good and bad could help let others know that they are not alone.

Interview with Birdy Reene

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Birdy Reene, a young American video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Birdy!

Birdy: Hi, hi, Thanks for wanting to interview me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Birdy: Well, I'm 26, I'm a home health aid who looks after the mentally handicapped. Outside of work I play video games, run my own anime art website and play around with the concept of doing my own manga.

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

Birdy: My friend Sour Skiddlez has been doing video blogs for a long time, and exposed me to the process in one of her videos so I started doing it myself. I more or less wanted to show transition isn't the nightmare people make it out to be, its rough I won't lie, but I feel like if more of us were to educate the future trans community, maybe they can take from us and help themselves better.

Interview with Christina Warburton

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Christina Warburton, a young American video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Christina!

Christina: Hello Monika, It is a privilege to speak with you today. I feel very honored to be looked at as an Idol.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Christina: Sure, I was born in Liverpool, England, moved to Philadelphia, PA when I was 10 years old. As for me currently, I’m a 35-year-old MTF, who is a proud parent of 3 children. I’m really no one special, I’m an average blue-collar worker that works for a landscaping company.

I pay my taxes, bills, go to work every day, and do the same things as everyone else, despite what some people would tend to try to make everyone believe. I am also a musician, I have been playing bass since high school, and am an avid video gamer and general techie.

Interview with Fiona Corwin

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Fiona Corwin, a young video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Fiona!

Fiona: Hello! Young! You’re sweet to say so. I’ll be 42 this year!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Fiona: I am a 41yr old trans woman. I started my transition in October of 2012, HRT in January of 2013, and living full time as a woman in May of 2013. It’s a complicated question because I am a lot of things depending on where you look from.

I am a Web Developer, an IT consultant, a manager, a business owner, a carpenter, a machinist, a musician, a writer, a lover, a poet, a martial artist, a fencer, and a bit of a pacifist who likes her guns. I am both fiercely independent and serially monogamous. I fall in love with people often – they fascinate me.