Tuesday, 9 March 2021

Interview with Isabelle Lindén


Monika: Today I am going to interview Isabelle Lindén, a Swedish transgender woman and an aspiring social media influencer that shares all her transition stories on Instagram. Hello Isabelle!
Isabelle: Hi Monika! The funny thing is when you call me an ”influencer”. I assure you I'm not. I tried to be one but it didn't work out. After blogging for so many years, now I'm just someone that likes taking photos and posting them on Instagram and stream on twitch, thebelasaga (well I am going to switch to that name anyway)
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Isabelle: Of course, to tell you who I am I must tell you who I was. I had Everything: family, wife, two kids, nice stable income, car, etc.
Now I don't know who I am anymore after being fired from my job, left by my wife, crashed financially, and left in debt for life. Family and friends left me all because I came out as transgender. I do suffer from depression and anxiety, not just because of who I am but more for what has happened.


Sunday, 7 March 2021

Interview with Siân Longthorpe


Monika: Today I am going to interview Siân Longthorpe, a British 40-something runner, fitness enthusiast, and lover of the outdoors. Hello Siân!
Siân: Hi Monika, thanks for getting in touch.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Siân: Sure. Your introduction does a good job, but I'm happy to expand on that a little further. My transition began following the breakdown of my marriage in 2016. I remember feeling completely trapped, not being able to see a way forward; it was a grim time and I had some very dark thoughts. I was finally being honest with myself but the thought of making my true feelings public seemed too much. I was also still very ashamed of my true feelings, having kept them hidden for so many years, and I feared how coming out would impact my two young children and my job.


Friday, 5 March 2021

Interview with Alexis


Monika: Today I am going to host Alexis, a Spanish model, fashion designer, and social media influencer living in London, UK. Hello Alexis!
Alexis: Hello Monika! Thanks for having me.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Alexis: It is always hard to talk about oneself. I was born in Madrid, in one of the most rebellious districts of the city called Vallekas. My parents were working-class people climbing their way to the middle class with nothing but hard work.
I started feeling like a woman at the age of 5. However, growing up as a transgender girl in the 80s was very challenging as the portrayal of the transgender community was both negative and marginal.
In addition, I knew I liked men, so I was still contemplating that I might be gay. I came out at 16 when my mother found a letter written to me by my then-secret boyfriend of 29 haha, which was quite an experience. But fortunately, regardless of all the concerns my parents had, they allowed me to continue my relationship that lasted 2 years. I have always been quite openly gay and very feminine. Perhaps frequent dates with much older men fulfilled my private fantasy to play the "girl" role.


Monday, 1 March 2021

Interview with Lisa van Ginneken


Monika: Today I am going to introduce you to Lisa van Ginneken, a Dutch politician, human rights advocate, and LGBTQI+ activist. Lisa is the President of Transvisie, an organization that supports the trans community in the Netherlands. This year she is running for a Member of Parliament seat, representing D66, a social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. Hello Lisa!
Lisa: Hello Monika! I feel very honored to be here today with you and your readers. 
Monika: We are meeting a couple of weeks before the General Elections in the Netherlands. Our whole trans community is keeping fingers crossed for you, and I am very grateful that you have found some time to present yourself to the readers of my blog. Why do you want to enter the world of politics?
Lisa: Politics might feel a world apart from our own daily lives sometimes, but it is not. It affects our lives hugely, not only through the decisions politicians make but also by the example they set with their behavior. The tone of public debate really worries me, in the Netherlands and worldwide. In my years of advocating transgender rights in the Netherlands, I got familiar and intrigued with the ways of politics. And it felt like this is the right point in my life to put forward this and other experiences I have.


Saturday, 27 February 2021

Interview with Renae


Monika: Today I am going to interview Renae, an American IT specialist and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Renae!
Renae: Hello Monika! It's nice to meet you. I must say your blog is wonderful and it's nice to see so many other women like myself, getting great representation. I know it can be a beacon of hope for so many of us that may still be in the closet.
In addition to Reddit, I share my experience on other social media, including Facebook and Twitter as well.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Renae: Certainly! I am a mother of 4 kids and I have been married to my wife for 9 years. I work in IT in a moderately sized town of about 43,000 people in the Midwest. It's a fairly conservative town but there is a rather progressive area I frequent about 40 minutes away. That is where most of my friends live.


Thursday, 25 February 2021

Interview with Willow-Jayne Davies


Monika: Today I am going to introduce to you Willow-Jayne Davies, a British makeup artist, nail technician, and beauty pageant queen from Swansea in Wales. She is Miss Swansea Sparkle 2016-2019 and Miss Voluptuous UK finalist 2020. Hello Willow-Jayne! 
Willow-Jayne: Hello gorgeous! How are you?
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Willow-Jayne: My top three most used words/phrases are: “it is what it is “, “Same to be honest “ and “lovely”. I’m not necessarily saying that my vocabulary is limited, it’s that I don’t need a dictionary to choose from because my top three work in all types of conversation.
Monika: Willow-Jayne is not a common name. Why did you choose it?
Willow-Jayne: When I was around eight I was rushed into hospital for an emergency operation (testicular torsion), and as I was slowly being put under the anesthetic and wheeled to the operating theatre, my mum had said “You’re going to go in as William and come out as Willow“. At that point, it wasn’t a laughing matter, and I thought she was being serious.


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