Interview with Caroline Cossey

There are women whose lives shimmer quietly, glimpses of grace in the everyday. And then, there are women like Caroline Cossey, whose very existence reshaped the world’s understanding of beauty, courage, and what it means to live as your whole self. Born in the pastoral calm of Brooke, Norfolk, Caroline entered the world with a secret written in her chromosomes, an intersex variation that gave her a soft, feminine appearance long before doctors could explain it. But in the rigid world of mid-century England, difference was not met with wonder. Caroline’s girlhood was laced with confusion, shame, and bullying, her delicate features marking her as an outsider before she even had the words to defend herself. Yet even in those early years, there were glimpses of the woman she was becoming: the way she and her sister Pam would play dress-up in their mother’s clothes, or how she longed, quietly and achingly, to be seen. To be recognized. To belong, not in disguise, but in truth. 

 

At sixteen, she left school and fled to London, where the city’s electric anonymity gave her a taste of freedom. She took jobs as an usherette, a shop assistant, a showgirl. By seventeen, she had begun hormone therapy. By twenty, she had undergone gender-affirming surgery. And by twenty-one, she was reinventing herself in front of cameras, tall, poised, breathtaking, as the model known as Tula. The world saw the glamour. The magazine spreads in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. The dazzling smile on television. The magnetic presence in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. What they didn’t see, until a tabloid brutally outed her, was the private cost of that visibility. In one day, the headlines erased her privacy, twisted her womanhood into scandal, and left her emotionally shattered. But Caroline didn’t break. She rose. She chose, instead, to tell her story on her own terms. Through her memoirs, I Am a Woman and My Story, she gave voice to a truth the world wasn’t ready for, but desperately needed to hear. She showed us that trans women are not shameful secrets, but full and radiant beings, capable of loving, hurting, rising, and remaking the world in our image.

Interview with Michelle Raine

Michelle Raine is a Canadian actress, theatre student, and video blogger whose openness and authenticity have made her a relatable voice in the transgender community. Based in Nova Scotia, Michelle is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in theatre, all while balancing her academic life with her artistic passions. From acting in productions to writing plays, she continues to carve out a space for herself in the world of performance. But Michelle is more than just a student and an actress, she is also a storyteller who shares her journey of transition on YouTube. At a time when she was still very early in her transition, she began documenting her experiences through video blogs, giving viewers an intimate glimpse into the realities of self-discovery, identity, and resilience. Her channel became a way not only to reach out for support but also to provide encouragement for others navigating similar paths. For Michelle, YouTube offered something powerful: a community where she could feel less alone and where she could also give back by answering questions, offering advice, and sharing moments of vulnerability. Her honesty resonates with many. Whether she’s talking about the joys of hormone therapy, the challenges of facial hair, or the sometimes awkward questions she receives from viewers, Michelle approaches each subject with humor and sincerity.

Interview with Crissy Red

When it comes to telling transgender stories, there are many different ways to raise awareness, foster understanding, and build community. Some take to the streets, marching with banners and megaphones. Others dive into politics, lobbying for much-needed reforms. And then there are those, like Crissy Red, who choose the power of storytelling through the lens of a camera. A Canadian video blogger, Crissy has carved out a unique space on YouTube where she shares her life experiences as a transsexual woman with honesty, wit, and warmth. Crissy’s journey began in the late 1990s, a time when conversations about transgender lives were far more limited than they are today. In 1999, after years of feeling as though something fundamental in her life was missing, she entered therapy and was told that what she was experiencing had a name: gender dysphoria. From that moment, she set her life in motion toward authenticity, beginning hormone therapy, legally changing her identity, and preparing for gender reassignment surgery. By 2004, she had completed her transition and describes the experience as if “being released from prison.” But Crissy didn’t stop there. Recognizing that not everyone has access to real-life role models or supportive communities, she turned to YouTube to create the kind of resource she wished she had found years earlier. 

Interview with Andrea Chrysanthe

When it comes to telling the stories of transgender women, no two paths are alike, yet each carries echoes of resilience, creativity, and determination. My guest today embodies all of these qualities and more. It is my pleasure and honor to introduce Andrea Chrysanthe, an American transgender musician, video blogger, and multitalented creative spirit who has been documenting her transition on YouTube with courage and authenticity. Andrea is not someone who can be defined by a single passion. Her background is as multifaceted as her personality, she is a licensed x-ray technician, medical assistant, and phlebotomist, and is close to completing her bachelor’s degree in physics and teaching. Alongside her academic and professional pursuits, Andrea has long been immersed in the world of music and sound. A musician and audio engineer, she has built her own recording studio, performed live sound engineering, and experimented with a wide variety of instruments, from piano, guitar, and bass to cello, violin, and organ. Her musical style has evolved from pop-grunge influences to heavier sounds inspired by bands like Tool and Opeth, and now to more ambient, hypnotic melodies reminiscent of Tycho.

Interview with Prof. Deirdre Nansen McCloskey

Professor Deirdre Nansen McCloskey is one of the most original and wide-ranging thinkers of our time, a scholar whose work stretches across economics, history, philosophy, rhetoric, ethics, and beyond. Born in 1942 in Ann Arbor, she studied economics at Harvard University, earning her AB in 1964 and her PhD in 1970 under the supervision of the eminent economic historian Alexander Gerschenkron. Her doctoral dissertation on the British iron and steel industry won the David A. Wells Prize and announced the arrival of a scholar deeply interested in the intersection of economic theory and history. McCloskey began her academic career at the University of Chicago, where she taught from 1968 to 1980. During those years she became a central figure in the “cliometric revolution,” applying quantitative methods to economic history and training generations of students in Chicago Price Theory, later distilled into her classic textbook The Applied Theory of Price. At Chicago, she also began her pioneering turn toward the rhetoric of economics, influenced by literary scholar Wayne Booth, and in doing so opened up an entirely new way of examining how economists argue and persuade.

Interview with Juno Roche

Few voices in the world of trans activism and writing carry the same mix of passion, honesty, and courage as Juno Roche. A celebrated writer, campaigner, and public speaker, Juno has devoted her life to advancing transgender equality, with a particular focus on education and sexual healthcare. Her activism is deeply personal, shaped by her own experiences of navigating life as a trans woman living with HIV for over two decades. She proudly identifies as a "long-term thriver," and through her work she continually challenges stigma, while opening conversations that many shy away from. Over the years, Juno’s contributions have been recognized widely. She is the Patron of cliniQ, a holistic sexual health and well-being service for the trans community, and a Trustee of the Sophia Forum, which supports women living with HIV. Her fearless commitment to justice has earned her numerous accolades: she is a Blair Peach Award winner, was named one of the most influential LGBTQ leaders in the UK, and appeared on both the Rainbow List 2014/2015 and the World Pride Power List 2015. She has also been shortlisted as European Campaigner of the Year (2016) and more recently for Campaigner of the Year by Diva Magazine.