Interview with Victory “Vi” Lê

Victory “Vi” Lê is a woman of quiet strength and luminous presence, living and creating in the ever-restless heart of San Francisco. A transgender singer, performer, and student, Vi first stepped into the public eye as one of the women featured in Cecilio Asuncion’s documentary What’s the T?, a project that captured not only stories of transition, but the courage it takes to exist openly in a world that so often demands conformity. Since then, her life has continued to unfold as a careful balance between artistry, purpose, and self-discovery. By day, Vi is completing her degree in psychology and working with the Department of Public Health, guided by a long-held dream of becoming a doctor, a healer in both mind and body. By night, she takes the stage at AsiaSF, the legendary San Francisco cabaret where transgender women are not only servers and hosts, but stars. There, Vi lends her voice to bluesy and jazz-infused songs, singing with a warmth shaped by lived experience, heartbreak, resilience, and hope.

 

As the venue’s only live singer, she does more than perform; she weaves emotion into melody, and community into family, standing alongside women she proudly calls her sisters. Vi’s beauty, like her artistry, is not ornamental but deeply rooted. It grows from self-ownership, from years of searching, questioning, and learning to love herself without apology. She speaks of transition not as a single moment or destination, but as a personal, evolving journey, one that belongs to each individual alone. Her words reject rigid narratives and embrace choice, patience, and compassion, reminding us that there is no universal path to becoming oneself. At her core, Vi believes in visibility, not as spectacle, but as truth. She envisions a world where transgender women are seen simply as human beings navigating love, family, ambition, and belonging, much like anyone else. Grounded yet dream-filled, reflective yet playful, she embodies the idea that standing out is not an act of defiance, but an act of survival and grace. This interview is an invitation into Vi’s world, a space where song meets science, softness meets strength, and identity is not explained, but lived.

Interview with Giselle

 

Giselle is a young and inspiring trans woman from Minnesota who courageously shares her journey of transition on YouTube. Giselle balances a full-time career as a Web Business Specialist in Minneapolis with a vibrant personal life that includes friends, family, fashion, photography, travel, and even the occasional relaxing glass of wine. Open-minded, easy-going, and curious about the world, she decided to document her transition online to support and guide others navigating the often complex and emotional path of gender transition. Having been on hormone replacement therapy for over a year and preparing for gender reassignment surgery, Giselle speaks candidly about the physical, mental, and social challenges she has faced, as well as the moments of triumph and self-discovery that have shaped her journey.

 

Giselle is deeply passionate about authenticity, visibility, and representation, emphasizing how important it is for trans people to tell their own stories. Her perspective spans a wide range of topics, from fashion and beauty to love, politics, and self-acceptance, offering both inspiration and practical wisdom for transgender women and the wider community. In today’s conversation, Giselle shares her experiences, her hopes for the future, and her thoughts on what it truly means to live boldly and authentically as a trans woman, reminding us all of the importance of courage, empathy, and staying true to oneself.

Interview with Ingrid Ung

 

Ingrid Ung is a Finnish visual artist whose life and work move fluidly across borders, disciplines, and identities. Born in Malmö in 1973 and raised between cultures, with a Finnish mother and a Slovenian father, Ingrid has built an artistic practice that is as multifaceted as her personal journey. Trained at Fria Konstskolan and later at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, she has worked with painting, drawing, video, sound, installation, and performance, gaining particular recognition for her video and performance art while never abandoning her roots as a painter. Her life has been shaped by constant movement and curiosity, having lived and worked in cities such as Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, Estonia, and even India. Ingrid approaches these geographical and emotional shifts not as obstacles, but as adventures that have continuously expanded her artistic vocabulary. This openness to experience is also reflected in her willingness to move between traditional and contemporary forms, allowing drawing and painting to coexist naturally with video and performance.

 

Her background as a painter remains visible even in her moving-image works, lending them a strong visual sensitivity. At the same time, she values the intimacy and romance of manual, craft-based practices, especially as she returns more intensively to drawing and painting. For Ingrid, artistic freedom lies precisely in refusing to limit herself to a single medium or definition. Based between Helsinki, Turku, Berlin, and Leipzig, Ingrid’s career reflects a life shaped by movement, curiosity, and openness to change. Her work often explores themes of identity and gender, drawing directly from lived experience, including her transition, which began in the early 2000s and became part of a powerful body of artistic reflection. Beyond labels and categories, Ingrid’s art is driven by a desire to inspire, to give hope, and to remain deeply authentic, a quality that resonates not only in her visual language but also in her thoughtful, warm, and reflective approach to life itself.

Interview with Ellah A. Thaun

 

Some lives unfold like a carefully written score, others like a feedback-soaked improvisation played at night, alone, with the windows open to the world. Ellah A. Thaun belongs unmistakably to the second kind. Born in France and shaped by sound, image, intuition, and survival, she moves through music the way some people move through dreams, intensely, vulnerably, without compromise. From the first shock of John Lennon’s voice in childhood to the restless urgency of teenage distortion, from noise and shoegaze collectives to intimate lo-fi folk confessions recorded on the edge of sleep, her art has always been less about genre and more about truth. Guitar strings, drum machines, sketches, photographs, and whispered melodies all become extensions of the same searching gesture, an attempt to translate lived experience into something that can be felt rather than explained.

 

As a transgender woman, Ellah speaks of transition not as a label but as an awakening, a filter through which the world suddenly becomes sharper, more dangerous, more beautiful. Her work carries the weight of that awakening, love as an absolute necessity, anger as fuel, tenderness as resistance, and creativity as a way to stay alive in a society that too often refuses to listen. Whether performing solo in quiet rooms or shaping expansive soundscapes with Valeskja Valcav, she stands at the intersection of music and art, fragility and defiance, romance and rage. This interview is an invitation to step into that intersection, and to listen closely, not only to what Ellah A. Thaun creates, but to what she has lived, endured, and transformed into song.

Interview with Abby Louise Jensen

Abby Louise Jensen is a distinguished transgender attorney, activist, and advocate whose life and work exemplify integrity, courage, and a deep commitment to justice. Based in Tucson, Arizona, she serves as Vice President of the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, contributes to the Arizona State Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee, and is a member of the City of Tucson’s GLBT Advisory Commission. Over the years, Abby has been a guiding force in numerous organizations, from her leadership roles in QsquaredYouth to co-founding Prescott Area Shelter Services, and was honored on the inaugural Trans 100 list in 2013. Abby’s journey to living authentically as a woman began later in life, yet it was the culmination of a long spiritual and personal exploration. After decades of living in alignment with societal expectations rather than her own truth, she embraced her identity fully in 2007, embarking on a path that combined self-discovery with a commitment to support others in the transgender community.

 

Drawing on her extensive legal experience and a lifelong sense of justice, she has dedicated herself to addressing the legal, social, and health-related challenges faced by transgender people, while fostering inclusive spaces and providing guidance, advocacy, and encouragement to those navigating their own paths. Her advocacy extends from education and cultural competency training to political and social activism, addressing pressing issues such as nondiscrimination protections, healthcare access, and economic empowerment for transgender individuals. Abby’s perspective is informed by both her personal journey and her awareness of the broader systemic challenges facing the community, particularly for transgender women of color. Through her work, she combines compassion with expertise, striving to empower others to live authentically while advancing the visibility, rights, and dignity of transgender people in society. In this interview, Abby shares her insights on the evolving landscape of transgender advocacy, the challenges and triumphs of her own transition, and the vision she holds for a more just and inclusive world.

Interview with Kamilla A

Kamilla A is a 22-year-old American video blogger, singer, and aspiring actress whose voice resonates far beyond YouTube. Raised in a small town in the Florida panhandle, Kamilla documents her transition with striking honesty, courage, and warmth, transforming her channel into a space of family, support, and empowerment for countless viewers. Classically trained as an opera singer while also embracing Pop and R&B, she is preparing to move to Los Angeles to pursue her artistic dreams, guided by faith, determination, and an unshakable belief in the power of authenticity. Kamilla’s story is one of resilience shaped by rejection, discrimination, and isolation, but also by love, spirituality, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others.

 

Through her candid discussions about transition, beauty, fashion, faith, and self-worth, she challenges stereotypes surrounding transgender women and offers visibility to experiences often misunderstood or ignored. Outspoken yet deeply compassionate, Kamilla lives by the principle of treating others as one wishes to be treated, spreading positivity while reminding her audience that dreams are precious, strength is learned through struggle, and love remains the most powerful force of all. Above all, she sees her visibility not as a pursuit of fame, but as a responsibility to inspire, to educate, and to remind others that they are never alone. Her journey is a testament to the courage it takes to live shamelessly and to turn personal truth into a source of hope for others.