Interview with Chloé Brandt

Monika: Today I am talking to Chloé Brandt, a Swedish transgender artist and vlogger that documents her transition on social media. Hello Chloé!

Chloé: Hello, thanks for reaching out!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Chloé: I was born and raised in Sweden. I live in a little town called Eskilstuna with my boyfriend and our new family member a kitten named Lusse. Right now I’m studying my last year at college aiming for a bachelor's degree in culture and media production, I work extra at a nursing home, and I also paint and sometimes show my art at exhibits. And then there's social media haha. So it’s a lot to juggle around.

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

Chloé: When I started transitioning I was looking at transgender women mainly on YouTube but I had a hard time finding someone who lived in Sweden. So I thought to myself that this is my responsibility. The situation for transgender women is so different around the world, and you can feel so lonely on your journey. Hence my plan was to make a place where I could share that knowledge through documenting my life, making Swedish transgender people feel like they’re not alone or weird for feeling this way like you can have a normal day-to-day life.

Interview with Jolene

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Jolene, an American transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Jolene!

Jolene: Hello Monika! Thank you for reaching out to me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jolene: Certainly. I'm 34 years old, living in western Nebraska. I began my transition in private at the end of 2019 and started HRT in March of 2020. I came out publicly in June and I've been living my truth out and proud ever since!

Monika: Jolene is such a nice name. How come you chose this particular name?

Jolene: It was actually the name of my first D&D character many years ago. Most people think it’s because of the Dolly Parton song but I had actually never heard the song until after I’d chosen it. I don’t know how I missed it but I did!

Interview with Sabrina Symington

Monika: My today’s guest is Sabrina Symington, a Canadian illustrator, graphic novelist, and blogger who runs the popular LGBTQ+ webcomic Life of Bria. Sabrina is the author of two comic books: ‘First Year Out: A Transition Story’(2017) and ‘Coming Out, Again: Transition Stories’ to be published next year, and a columnist at TG Forum. Hello Sabrina! 

Sabrina: Hi Monika!

Monika: There are comic books about Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and other heroes of our childhood that have defined the way we look at comic books. Your ‘First Year Out: A Transition Story’ (2017) proves that a comic book can be a perfect form of expression for transition as well.

Sabrina: I have always cared most about “narrative” in my art. This is a common thread I see with trans people; we often seem very interested in coming up with a “story” to our lives so we can make sense of the feelings we’ve had throughout them. These stories come to define us, they anchor us to our sense of self, and having this story be understood by others is one of the most affirming things I can imagine.

Interview with Lily (bamb00unicorn)

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

Lily: Hi! I’m flattered that you asked to interview me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lily: Well, I’m a 24-year-old transgender woman who loves movies, is extremely sarcastic, and optimistic!

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

Lily: I started using Instagram and Reddit as online spaces where I could be myself. I grew up in a conservative town in Michigan where there wasn’t really much of an LGBTQ community. I couldn’t be out there, so Instagram became a safe space for me to express myself and document my transition.

Interview with Selena

Monika: Today we are going to Germany where I am hosting a special guest. Selena is a German space scientist and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. I am going to talk to Selena about her amazing journey towards womanhood. Hello Selena!

Selena: Hello Monika, thank you for interviewing me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Selena: Well, I am a 56-year-old trans woman from Berlin, of Australian origin. I began a physical transition 2 years ago. I had a brief period 23 years ago when I prepared myself for transition, but I unexpectedly met my darling wife. She knew about the doubts I had over my gender, but the relationship was so unexpectedly lovely that we both thought I could stay male for the sake of it. She thought her acceptance could cure my pain, and I thought I could live with my doubts as to an "envy". And for the first years of our relationship, this worked.

We have brought two sublime children into the world. As a stay-at-home parent, I was heavily involved in the pretty much all-female world of childcare, and I had some lovely first Mum friends who didn't seem to see my gender - they just treated me as one of them. So that soothed me for several years too.

Interview with Cereza Corazón B

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Cereza Corazón B, a transgender woman from Mexico that documents her transition on social media. Hello Corazón!

Corazón: Hi Monika, thank you for setting up this interview! Hello, the folk of the Internet, onlookers and regulars of Monika’s. 

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Corazón: My name is Cereza Corazón B. I’m of Mexican nationality and really mixed heritage. It is my desire to be free that drives me forward and leads me to try new things. It is that same desire that guides me to accept and embrace who I am.

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

Corazón: I’ll be honest, it originally started because I had a really hard time believing that I could be seen as a woman. Although my beginning in Reddit was less than glamorous it did help me gain the confidence necessary to break away from my shell and believe I could actually do it.