Interview with Elin McCready

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Elin McCready, an American linguistics professor at Tokyo's Aoyama Gakuin University. Married for 20 years, she has three children with her Japanese wife Midori, but registering her female identity has endangered her marriage because Japan doesn't recognize gay marriage. Hello Elin!

Elin: Hi! Thank you so much for asking me to do this interview. It’s great to get the opportunity to raise awareness about our situation and about the general situation for LGBTQ+ people in Japan.

Monika: Your story hit the international headlines more than a year ago. Has anything changed since then?

Elin: We first started getting media attention when it became clear that the Japanese government was going to take a weird line on recognizing my transition. The situation in Japan is that, if you want to change the gender marker on your official documents, you must not be married or have minor children, and you must be sterilized, in addition to having a diagnosis saying that gender marker change is appropriate from a medical professional. Since I only satisfy the last condition, I would not have been able to change gender marker if I were Japanese; but since I’m not, I changed my marker in the US, which of course changes my Japanese paperwork. But since I’m married, allowing me to change the gender marker on all my documents would mean the de facto recognition of same-sex marriage, so the government didn’t want to do it.

Interview with Maryanne Marttini - Part 2

The interview is the continuation of the previous conversation with Maryanne Marttini, an American comedienne, writer, producer, and designer from Arizona. She is known for her stand-up comedy performances across the country, and brief appearances in Transparent and Glee. She is also part of a writing team that has developed an animated television series and a three-act play based on that series. Since starting her transition 12 years ago she has volunteered with The Maricopa Community College System for LGBTQ awareness, fundraising for scholarships, and Human Resources for LGBT education.

Monika: You co-operate with the Maricopa Community College System to raise awareness about LGBT rights. Could you say a few words about it?

Maryanne: When I joined The Desperado LGBT Film Festival, which is sponsored by The Maricopa Community College System (MCCS) with corporate and community sponsors, I met the Director of The MCCS Diversity Program for students and staff. MCCS has almost 280,000 full and part-time students and is the center of diversity for Maricopa County. The MCCS is dedicated to promoting diversity despite the reputation of Arizona being a red state.

Interview with Tanja von Knorring

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Tanja von Knorring, a Finnish businesswoman and human rights and transgender activist, co-chair of the 2019-2020 Board of Transgender Europe (TGEU), the roof-top organization of transgender organizations of Europe and Central Asia, fighting against discrimination and supporting trans people rights. She is also the Chairperson of the NGO Transfeminines of Finland, ex-chair of Transgender political committee of SETA – LGBTI Finland, board member in Trasek, and an array of other LGBTI associations. 

Hello Tanja!

Tanja: Hello, and nice to meet you, Monika, in these very special times we are living currently. I'm happy to have an interview with you.

Monika: Before we focus on your activism, I would like to touch upon your managerial career. You can boast a solid portfolio of managerial positions within the Finnish corporate community.

Tanja: Yes, I have had many both demanding and rewarding opportunities in my work life, first as a high ranked civil servant in civil aviation, then leading an airline for 8 years, and finally before giving more time to myself and the activism, as CEO in the transportation field for another eight years.

Interview with Veso Golden Oke

Veso Golden Oke, born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother, is a prominent transgender model, actress, activist, and entrepreneur. Raised in an Anglican household, Oke exhibited feminine traits from a young age and identified as a woman, never considering herself a gay man. At eight, she prayed to wake up in a girl's body, and by fourteen, she discovered the concept of being transgender online, helping her come to terms with her identity. Initially met with resistance, her family eventually became supportive. In 2014, Oke relocated to Ghana, where she pursued a career in modeling and mentored aspiring models in Accra.

 

Her groundbreaking moment came in August 2019 when she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in a beauty pageant in Africa, participating in Miss Europe Continental Ghana. Although she didn't win, her participation marked a significant milestone for transgender visibility on the continent. Beyond modeling, Oke is a professional make-up artist and hairstylist. She has been an outspoken advocate for transgender rights, sharing her experiences and challenges to raise awareness. By 2018, she had begun hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as part of her transition journey. Oke's story has been featured in various media outlets, including an interview where she discussed her struggles and aspirations. She continues to inspire many by breaking barriers and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in Africa.

Interview with Maryanne Marttini

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Maryanne Marttini, an American comedienne, writer, producer, and designer from Arizona. She is known for her stand-up comedy performances across the country, and brief appearances in Transparent and Glee. She is also part of a writing team that has developed an animated television series and a three-act play based on that series. Since starting her transition 12 years ago she has volunteered with The Maricopa Community College System for LGBTQ awareness, fundraising for scholarships, and Human Resources for LGBT education.

Hello Maryanne! 

Maryanne: Thank you Monika it is an honor and pleasure to meet you. I am a fan of your work bringing awareness and the reality of the Transgender Community to your readers. One of my favorite expressions in life is, “the more you know…!”

Interview with Madi (ChutDillio)

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Madi, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com as ChutDillio. Hello Madi!

Madi: Hi Monika! Thank you so much for interviewing me. I've never been interviewed by anyone!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Madi: I'm a sarcastic, extroverted, super proud trans woman born and raised in New York City. I love to sing, skate, and be my crazy Aries self (unabashedly). I also never stop talking. It's a problem.

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

Madi: Honestly, as a way to give back. I followed every trans subreddit for YEARS before I could even admit to myself I was trans. The trans community on Reddit are some of the most amazing, strong-willed people I know of. Once I started HRT, I started counting down the days until I could post about my progress, simply just so I could finally be part of the community. I've made a bunch of really great friends on there.