Interview with Ashley Ackley

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Ashley Ackley, a transgender activist from the USA, and Iraq War veteran. Hello Ashley!

Ashley: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Ashley: Howdy! As of this writing, I am 26. I have been transitioning for over 3 years now. I work in the tech industry and am a run-of-the-mill geek.
Monika: Your story made headlines in 2012 when you asked the army to be re-enlisted after your transition, and they refused to do so …
Ashley: True. The mindset of the army is that there is no place for people with needs. I have met people who were rejected for having been on A.D.D medication. The logistics of just the social protections are so troublesome that the gay/lesbian population is still barely tolerated.

Interview with Vennessa St John

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Vennessa St John, an American vlogger, actress, model, the author of "Third Sex Life, Venomous, and After Effects" (2014). Hello Vennessa!

Vennessa: Hi Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Vennessa: Every time I am asked that I never know what to say!

Monika: Why did you decide to write your autobiography Third Sex Life (2014)?

Vennessa: It’s not really an autobiography. It doesn’t go into explicit detail about every aspect of my whole life and who I am. It concentrates on personal observations and personal experiences I have had growing up, living and working as myself.

I would say it’s more of a study or maybe a thesis although much of it is autobiographical. I wrote it because lately there has been a lot of press about TG rights and the struggle for equality and it seems (to me at least) that many people on both sides are limiting the scope of the issues in a very dangerous way.

Interview with Antonia Stevens

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Antonia Stevens, an Icelandic-born transgender woman from Canada. Hello Antonia!

Antonia: Hey, it’s a pleasure to meet you and I’m honored to be a part of the Heroine series!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Antonia: I’m 35 years old, currently living in Toronto, Canada. I’m a huge nerd and have always been but I also enjoy nature and the outdoors. I love sailing, cycling, hiking, canoeing, and kayaking. On the flip side, I love working on open-source software and hardware so I guess it balances out. I work in IT security so I and my colleagues help companies defend against hackers by finding the problems before the hackers do.

Monika: What do you think about the present situation of transgender women in Canadian society?

Antonia: It’s much better than I thought it would be when I started my journey, I guess my expectations were set back in ’93 when I first heard of the term transgender and started identifying myself as trans. I honestly expected to lose everything, job, family, and friends but so far I’ve not lost anything but gained so much.

Interview with Honey Andrews

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Honey Andrews, aka Honey Daniels, an American entertainer and beauty pageant queen from Corpus Christi, Texas, Former Miss TX Continental, and Miss Gay Harris County USofA 2013. Hello Honey!

Honey: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Honey: I'm Honey Andrews, 29, originally born in Monterrey, Mexico. I am currently living in Corpus Christi, Texas. I am a hairstylist by day and showgirl by night. I have been doing it for about 10 years.
Monika: Recently you have been subject to the transphobic act when after the last three years’ performance at the tribute to Selena, the late music icon, the tribute organizers did not allow you to perform because you are transgender…
Honey: Yes, unfortunately, last year I came across this incident where I was discriminated against because I was Transgender but fortunately I was able to perform at the other Selena tribute, which was the original one, and had the love and support from many people.

Interview with Tommie Ross

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Tommie Ross, an American entertainer and beauty pageant queen. Hello Tommie!

Tommie: Hello Monika! I'm great, blessed, and highly favored.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Tommie: I am a GOD-fearing entertainer who enjoys life.
Monika: When did you decide that you would like to be a stage artist?
Tommie: After I saw my first show back in 1978, I knew instantly I wanted to do it. 
Monika: Could you name some of the venues and shows in which you participated? 
Tommie: I worked in different venues across the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

Interview with Vanessa Lopez

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honour to interview Vanessa Lopez, a Chilean-born model from Sweden, TV celebrity, beauty pageant queen, the author of "Jag har ångrat mig" (2014). Hello Vanessa!

Vanessa: Hello Monika! Thank you for the introduction! 

Monika: Let’s start with your autobiography first. Why did you decide to "Jag har ångrat mig"?

Vanessa: Thank you, Monika! The English version would be: “I Changed My Mind”. A TG sister of mine told me once about the native American two-spirit people. I started to investigate the two-spirits through books, and I found out that what she told me was true! Native Americans had multiple genders in their society. The basic were woman, man, female men and manly female, who were all socially accepted.