Interview with Violet Bernarde

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Violet Bernarde, a young video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube. Hello Violet!

Violet: Who me? ;P

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Violet: I’m an average girl. I just happen to have a trait that other girls don’t, but we all have something that makes us unique in some way.

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

Violet: I shared myself for a few different reasons. I wanted to document my own transition and make a diary of sorts. I wanted to give back to the community and make videos that helped others. I wanted to connect with people for my own sake and it also gave me a little spending money to pay for food which I didn’t have much of in the beginning.

Interview with Sophia Gubb

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Sophia Gubb, a writer who is British by birth but living in Germany, the author of the biographical book titled “Stubborn Soul” (2015). Hello Sophia!

Sophia: Hi there :)

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Sophia: Um, I have lots of identities, but I'm not sure what to say that really speaks about who I am. I'm a writer, a speaker when I can manage it, and am very passionate about trying to help the world however I can. I'm into spirituality, personal development, animal rights (including vegetarianism/veganism), and LGBT topics. That said, right now I'm recovering from the most intense part of my gender transition and trying to find some kind of stability in my life, so I'm not working at full capacity.

Interview with Teri Louise Kelly

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Teri Louise Kelly, an Australian writer, poet, the author of many books, including the biographical books titled: “Sex, Knives & Bouillabaisse” (2008), “Last Bed on Earth” (2009) “American Blow Job” (2010) and “Bent” (2014). Hello Teri!

Teri: Hi Monika.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Teri: I like to write, garden and drink, although not necessarily in that order. 

Monika: Your books cover very diverse topics: loneliness as in “The Last Bed on Earth” (2009), immigration as in “American Blow Job: A Novel” (2010), war and blood as in “The Colour of Your Blood” (2012). How do you find subjects for your books?

Teri: Mainly they’re based on my life, just stories and memories and reminiscence, sometimes they’re clear and other times out of focus so the theme develops perhaps from one single memory into a mishmash of recollections joined with narrative.

Interview with Karen Adell Scot

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Karen Adell Scot. Miss Scot is a very diverse woman. She is an award-winning California high school science teacher, a movie producer, and screenwriter of feature films, a former Major in the military, a law enforcement officer, and recently a beauty queen. Hello Karen Adell!

Karen Adell: Hi there Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Karen Adell: Thank you so much for interviewing me. It is an honor to share a little bit of my life with your readers.

Monika: You hit the headlines in December 2014 when the American media covered your coming-out story. Were you satisfied with the way the media covered your transition? 

Karen Adell: Absolutely not. I was outed against my will on the front pages of many newspapers, on over twenty local news broadcasts and then was outed on all the major American national news broadcasts and went viral on the net. Many stories used male pronouns and then allowed comments where others called me a “thing” and “it” even calling for me to die as some sort of filthy piece of garbage. Some stories about me were so bad other news stories were written using my example of how NOT to write about transgender women.

Interview with Amy Tashiana

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Amy Tashiana, a former model, fashion coordinator, performer, one of the most famous transgender icons from Singapore. Hello Amy!

Amy: Hello Monika!

Monika: Amy, you look absolutely beautiful! What is the secret of your everlasting beauty?
Amy: The secret of my beauty? For me, only minor issues need to be fixed and the rest depends on my doctor's advice, including some beauty creams. Not too many interventions, but of course breast implants were indispensable.
Monika: How did you start your modeling career?
Amy: I entered into the modeling world when I was 17 years old with basic professional modeling training.

Interview with Andrea Zekis

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Andrea Zekis, a cartographer and transgender activist from Arkansas, USA. She’s executive director of the Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition and consultant to the Human Rights Campaign in Arkansas. Hello Andrea!

Andrea: Hello Monika! Thank you for the opportunity to explain myself! Ha! Ha! Seriously, I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about the work I take part in and the community I serve.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Andrea: I’m 36, originally from the Chicago area, but have called Arkansas home since 2005. At the time, I was married, living as a man, and working as a journalist. Since age 3, I knew there was something different about myself, but didn’t learn the word transgender until I was 18 years old.