Interview with Kara Nicole Hays

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Kara Nicole Hays, an American talented woman, and celebrity, known for her emulation for Britney Spears. Kara comes from a small town in southeastern Ohio. She hit the headlines in 2012 when the media covered her transition, operations, and impersonation of Britney Spears. She is also known for her appearance in The Tyra Show with Isis King and Marci Bowers. Hello Kara!

Kara: Hello Monika! Thank you for reaching out to me to do this Interview. I’m excited to answer what you have in store for me. I’m also honored that you have taken the time to set up this interview to feature me on your site. I greatly appreciate it.

Monika: A year ago the media were full of information about your operations to get the look of Britney Spears. Were you satisfied with the way you were portrayed by the media?

Kara: The media twisted a lot of things around for the sake of a shocking headline. It worked in the sense that it caught people’s attention. I was hoping other people in the media with an above-average IQ would do enough research to see that most of what I said was misconstrued. It was a little disheartening when journalists and television producers would interview me, only to then drop my story when they realized the Britney angle was completely fabricated.

Interview with Rosalyne Blumenstein LCSW ACHP-SW

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Rosalyne Blumenstein LCSW ACHP-SW, a woman of many talents, film director, writer, social worker, activist, former director of the Gender Identity Project at the LGBT Center in Manhattan, the author of Branded T. Hello Rosalyne!

Rosalyne: Hello Monika! First I want to thank you for having this website and bringing a variety of voices together to share with others. And second, thank you for asking me to participate. Hopefully, even after my responses to your questions, you will feel the same way☺.

Monika: Having had so many talents and jobs, which profession do you enjoy most?

Rosalyne: The one that pays the rent of course!☺
There have been many phases in my life and within those stages of life and my varied professions. There was enjoyment and struggle within each and every phase. What I can say is that I have learned so much about myself and the world around me within each phase and each profession. I’ve been involved in professions that had a tremendous stigma attached to them at the time I was involved.

Interview with Şevval Kılıç

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Şevval Kılıç, a Turkish LGBT activist, a member of non-governmental organizations such as Istanbul LGBTT Dayanışma Derneği and Trans-Blok, co-organizer of the Istanbul Trans Pride parade. Hello Şevval!

Şevval: Hi Monika!

Monika: You come from a country that is notorious for transphobia crimes, just to mention the murder of Neşe Dilşeker in 2012 and Dora Özer in 2013. Is Turkey not a country for transgender women?

Şevval: I wouldn’t say it that way but at the same time yes, the number of trans hate crimes is rising as never before. However, transphobia is everywhere with different levels, of course, from Japan to the USA, maybe Turkey is more gender-based-hypocritical.

Monika: What are the current issues on the agenda of such organizations as Trans-Blok and Istanbul LGBTT Dayanışma Derneği?
Şevval: I’ve recently resigned from Istanbul LGBT, and now I am working for Trans-Blok. Our first issue is to stop hate crimes against trans people. Our government is still resisting and ignoring the fact that we are living in a different age. It is still ignoring the existence of the LGBT movement, they don’t even articulate the term “LGBT”, because if you do not exist then your human rights do not exist either.
However, all Turkish LGBT organizations are working hard at that moment to gain more power every day and we know we will have our democratic rights eventually.

Interview with Andrea James

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Andrea James, a very prolific American artist, writer, film producer, director, businesswoman, and LGBT rights activist. Hello Andrea!

Andrea: Hi Monika—thanks for interviewing me!

Monika: Having so many talents, which profession do you enjoy most?
Andrea: I enjoy writing educational information because that fulfills my interest in teaching. Unfortunately, we live in a world where a large swath of people can’t be reached through the written word, so I also work in film and television.

Monika: In 2003, together with your business partner and entertainer Calpernia Addams, you co-founded Deep Stealth Productions to provide services to the transgender community. How successful is the company?

Andrea: I feel that our success is best measured by the nice letters and hugs we get from people who have been helped or moved by our work. We were never out to become rich selling specialty videos, and it’s not a big money-maker anyway. We often supplement the income from our work for the trans community through other kinds of production. Calpernia and I do not need a lot to live the lives we want, and that has freed us up to work on projects that are important to us.

Interview with Rajée Rajindra Narinesingh

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Rajée Rajindra Narinesingh, an American transgender activist, author of Beyond Face Value, and actress. Hello Rajée! 

Rajée: Hello Monika!

Monika: In your autobiography titled “Beyond Face Value” you share your story of the botched facial surgery and facial injections done by Oneal Morris aka “Duchess”. Was it difficult to write such a book?

Rajée: Beyond Face Value is my 4th book but it was the hardest to write because I wanted to be as authentic to my story as possible. There were things I wrote about that stirred up many different emotions.

Interview with Jenna Fischetti

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Jenna Fischetti, an inspirational woman, transgender advocate and activist, a contributor to The Transadvocate. Jenna is the founder of TransMaryland, an organization serving the Maryland transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support, and advocacy. She served as facilitator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland’s (The GLCCB) Gender Identity Groups from 2006 to 2011. Hello Jenna!

Jenna: Hello Monika!

Monika: You are very active in the promotion of transgender equality in Maryland. Could you name some of your successful campaigns or projects in this respect?

Jenna: Let me first thank individuals like Jessica Xavier, Alyson Meiselman, Donna Cartwright, Falina Laron, Cydne’ Kimbrough, Lauren Stokeling, Monica Yorkman, Jean-Michel Brevelle, Frannie O’Grady, Dana Beyer, Laura Hart, Owen Smith, Mara Drummond, Alex Hickcox, Caroline Temmermand, Sharon Brackett, Ezra Towne, J.D. Rosario, Keith Thirion, and so many others who have contributed to the advancement of rights and acceptance of trans Marylanders. I am blessed to have worked with many of them. To name any successes would be to name the community’s successes.