Interview with Gabrielle Claiborne

Monika: For today's interview I have invited an inspirational woman from Georgia in the USA. Gabrielle Claiborne is a successful businesswoman that owned and operated successful businesses in the construction industry, overseeing multi-million dollar projects nationwide. She is a co-founder and CEO of Transformation Journeys Worldwide, an inclusion training and consulting firm with a transgender focus. Gabrielle received many awards and honors for her transgender activism, including Atlanta’s 2015 Best Trans Activist, Emory University’s 2018 Alum of the Year Pride Award, and the 2019 Outstanding Voice for Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. She is the author of ‘Embrace Your Truth: A Journey of Authenticity’ (2020), a TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in Forbes. Hello Gabrielle!

Gabrielle: Hi Monika! Thank you for the opportunity to be featured today.

Monika: How are you doing in these crazy pandemic times?

Gabrielle: Monika, we are definitely living in challenging times, a time when everyone’s safety, sense of belonging, and connection with family, friends, and well-being is being challenged unlike never before. In the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges, we’re all being called on to find ways to survive, many times, moment-by-moment, one day at a time.

Interview with Angie Brewer

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Angie Brewer, a British blogger, and author of the biographical book titled 'It's Just a Phase!' (2020). Hello Angie!

Angie: Hello Monika! Thanks for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Angie: I am a 53-year-old post-op trans woman, blogger, and author. I am open, honest and living life. I was born and bred in Leeds. I am a Yorkshire girl through and through and a Huddersfield Town fan for my sins.

Monika: Your biographical book was published just a couple of months ago. Why did you decide to write the autobiography?

Angie: The book came about after talking with my friend Andy. We have known each other most of our lives and told him that I was going to transition and he suggested writing a diary of my transition and writing blogs detailing how my transition was going and how family friends people I met through work, and how they had taken to the real me, and then finally how my life had been leading to this point.

Interview with Cassandra Heart

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

Cassandra: Hi there! I feel really honored I was asked to do this.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Cassandra: I am a software engineer with a deep passion for cryptography, machine learning, and distributed systems. I’m also married and polyamorous.

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

Cassandra: When I was young, my exposure to transgender people was entirely through mainstream media depictions, which were frequently unfavorable. While the world is thankfully a much more understanding and accepting place today with significantly more positive depictions seeing time in the spotlight, the actual process of transition, what to expect strictly from hormone therapy versus additional procedures, is not as open.

Interview with Lindsey

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

Lindsey: Hi Monika! As someone who has read your blog, it is an honor to do this interview with you!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lindsey: I am a 35-year-old intersex and transgender woman. I have a wife and two amazing kids, have started several businesses and brands, I model and I am an advocate for LGBT+ rights whenever I can be. I started transitioning when I was 32.

Interview with Bobbi Dare

Monika: Today it is my honor and pleasure to interview Bobbi Dare, a Canadian poet, writer, and transgender activist that documents her transition on Reddit.com. We are going to chat about her amazing journey to womanhood and other related topics. Hello Bobbi! 

Bobbi: Hi Monika, good to be here thank you for inviting me.

Monika: Could you introduce yourself to the readers of my blog?

Bobbi: First of all I want to say that Bobbi Dare is a pen name that I have used for about 20 years. I am an out trans woman so I will share that my real name is Roberta Jane Heggie. I am 56 years old and I live in Toronto, Canada.

Professionally, I work in technology as a senior project/ program manager for diverse companies and I am a member of PMI - The Project Management Institute. I do volunteer work for PMI, being a past president of the Toronto Chapter, currently, I am the Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for PMI Toronto and the Executive Director for the Chapter.

Interview with Hannah Decker

Monika: Today my guest is Hannah Decker, a Canadian transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com. Hello Hannah!

Hannah: Hello Monika and thank you for contacting me. It never occurred to me that anyone would want to interview me but I’m happy to share my story.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hannah: I am a 59-year-old freelance photographer/designer living in Canada. I have been married for over 20 years to a wonderful woman. I transitioned socially 9 months ago and started on hormones almost 6 months ago.

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

Hannah: I did it for one reason. To hopefully inspire others who are doubting themselves like I was. I usually post in r/translater because I’m “older” and I found that people of my age needed more inspiration and hope than younger people. When I receive comments saying I have inspired them I feel so good. Unlike many people, I make a point of posting before and after photos to show the incredible change that can happen when you believe in yourself and follow your heart.