Interview with Lexi Schmidt

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Lexi Schmidt, an American transgender activist that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Lexi!

Lexi: Hi Monika! It's really nice to be here, and thank you again for reaching out!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lexi: Ha! I'm a bit of a talker, so I can say more than a few words about myself, but I'll try to keep this part brief. I'm a 40-year-old transwoman currently living in Minneapolis. I started my transition in 2017. Like many of us, life has been a bit of a rollercoaster since then. I'm the Director of Community Engagement for TransChance Health, and have done advocacy work for the community from major health insurers to Ivy League schools.

Interview with Alex

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Alex, a transgender woman from New Zealand who shares her transition story on social media. Hello Alex!

Alex: Hi Monika, thank you for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alex: For much of my life I never really saw myself fitting in anywhere, never really saw a future for myself. I went through the first 25 or so years of my life doing the things I thought I was supposed to: playing sports in school, going to university, getting a job in the city.

It was at the suggestion of a family friend that I look into doing an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), and I was lucky enough to be accepted at the University of Cambridge in the UK. My classmates on the program came from all walks of life, from nations all over the world, wealthy backgrounds, and humble ones, with aspirations of changing the world in their own ways - really inspiring people.

Interview with Gaby van der Brug

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Gaby van der Brug, a Brazilian-born model living in the Netherlands, beauty queen, and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. This year she is going to represent the Netherlands in Miss Trans Star International, a beauty pageant for transgender women, which was first held in 2010 in Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. Hello Gaby!

Gaby: Hello Monika! Thanks for having me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Gaby: I'm Gabriela but you can call me Gaby. I'm 21 years old, I'm a hairdresser and upcoming model. I have been living in the Netherlands since I was 11 years old.

Interview with Ellie

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Ellie, an American helicopter pilot, veteran, and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Ellie!

Ellie: Hey, it’s great to be able to share my story with everyone.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ellie: I was raised up in the country, riding horses, helping out at my grandpa's ranch. I was always interested in the acceptable boy things like guns and sports. After high school, I joined the military and used my benefits once I got out to learn how to fly. I was a very successful helicopter pilot for three years until one day my fiancée was watching a video from one of the transgender YouTubers she watches and it planted a seed in my mind. So I looked into other transgender people's experiences and it became instantly clear that I have been ignoring all the signs from my past that I have always been transgender. I came out to my fiancée that day and everyone else within the week.

Interview with Ian Thomas Malone

Monika: Today I have invited a very special guest. Ian Thomas Malone is an author, comedian, and podcast host from Long Beach, California. Her treatise The Transgender Manifesto is a bestseller in LGBTQ non-fiction and she has contributed chapters to academic books on James Cameron and Star Trek: Voyager. Ian’s debut comedy album, Confessions From My New Vagina, was released in 2021. She is also known for hosting the Estradiol Illusions podcast, covering entertainment and LGBTQ issues. Hello Ian, thank you so much for accepting my invitation!

Ian: Thank you so much for having me and for interviewing so many fascinating members of our community.

Monika: For my blog, I have conducted over 600 interviews with transgender women and I always find it striking that so many of us are stand-up comics and comedians. Is it striking for you as well?

Ian: Definitely. I think humor is a valuable asset for transition. I often see people in the media say that trans people are too sensitive or “snowflakes” and I think that’s so ridiculous. Having a thick skin is pretty much a pre-requisite for transition.

Interview with Julia Martins

Monika: Today we are going to Brazil, a fascinating country where my inspirational guest comes from. Julia Martins is a model, beauty queen, and game video creator. Hello Julia! 

Julia: Hello Monika! Nice to meet you! It's a pleasure for me to talk to you and your audience. 

Monika: Could you say a few words yourself?

Julia: I'm Julia, a Libra transgender girl, a lover of life and pets, a gamer from my childhood, and now an alternative Ascencion model at SuicideGirls.com and Onlyfans.  

Monika: How did you start your gaming career?

Julia: Since I was a child, I've always loved playing video games. When I was 5 years old, I already knew that I was "a boy who didn't want to be a boy", and I never realized until I was 13 years old, that I could undergo a gender transition. So I grew up being a sad child. And when I was playing video games, those were the moments when I had happiness during my childhood. So when I grew up, I thought "Why can't I continue to do this?" and that's how I started my life playing video games.