Interview with Ella Baker

Monika: Today I have invited Ella Baker, a Korean-American model, poet, Zen student in the Kwan Um School of Zen, and transgender woman that documents her transition on social media. Hello Ella!

Ella: 안녕! Hi! Thanks so much for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ella: I’m a second-generation Korean American and a queer transgender woman of faith. I manage college programs for high schools throughout California and am finishing my Doctorate in Education at the University of Southern California this year. My research specialty is in belonging and how a sense of belonging impacts academic, psychological, and social outcomes. My dissertation specifically focuses on transgender college students and I’m hoping to provide colleges with student-centered data to improve their climates and policies.

Interview with Ritz Scarlet Arbuckle

Monika: Today I am going to interview Ritz Scarlet Arbuckle, an American video games and sound design specialist from Seattle that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Ritz!

Ritz: Hi Monika, thanks for inviting me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ritz: Sure! I'm a 28-year-old musician, gamer, and streamer! Gaming and music have always been my passions so I combined them and got a Bachelor's of Art in Music and Sound Design with a focus on video games. I play double bass and bass guitar, along with a smidge of keyboard and singing.

After coming out I've started considering myself something of a fashionista! Fashion is easily up there alongside games and music for me now that I am comfortable exploring the aesthetics I've admired for so long! I'm presently on a hiatus from my sound work to be at Starbucks, as their transgender benefits are one of the very best in the country and it's a wonderfully progressive company to work for. I also stream games on Twitch on the side.

Interview with Hayat Çelik

Monika: Today I am going to interview Hayat Çelik, a Turkish transgender activist from Istanbul, LGBTQ+ activist, and YouTube vlogger. Hello Hayat!

Hayat: Hello to everyone from Turkey, Istanbul!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Hayat: I was born in 1980, in a small village in Sivas, as the youngest child of a family of 4 children living on a farm. I often compare myself to the cartoon characters of my childhood, Heidi and Yakari. I was born in the arms of Mother Earth, so I have a strong connection with Nature.

After completing primary education in a village school, my family enrolled me in a state boarding school in order to continue my education. Since our financial means were not sufficient, I stayed in the state dormitories for most of my education life, including university.

Interview with Johanna

Monika: Today I am going to interview Johanna, a Swedish businesswoman and Managing Director in one of the biggest Swedish high-tech companies, and a happy parent. Hello Johanna!

Johanna: Hi there Monika! It’s a pleasure to meet you like this. And how fitting in these strange times of social distancing.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Johanna: I’m a 47 years old transgender woman living in Sweden. It took me a long time to come to terms with who I am – a woman – I needed 45 years of my life for that. Sometimes I wonder why it took me so long and what life would have been like, had I transitioned earlier. I have no clear answer, only that I needed that time to develop into who I am today. But once I had accepted my gender identity, there was no turning back, never any choice really; I simply had to live as myself. And today I can love myself for who I am. I no longer define my value solely by what I accomplish. My self-esteem has increased a lot since I started living as a woman.

Interview with Amber Rose Washington

Monika: Today I am meeting Amber Rose Washington, an American author, songwriter, musician, producer, public speaker, and advocate for the transgender community originally from Liberty, New York. Amber has been featured on FOX, NBC, CBS, NPR, and a host of other media. In 2020 she published her memoir "Hiding from Myself: My Complicated Rebirth Into Womanhood and My Own Skin". Her new Podcast, "THE JOURNEY, Unscripted" is scheduled to begin airing in April 2021. Hello Amber!

Amber: Hello Monika! It’s nice to be here.

Monika: You are a woman of many talents. I have listed so many of your professions and interests. I am wondering which one you are most eager to pursue.

Amber: I’ve done many things in my life, partially due to what I call, self-inflicted Occupational ADD. I kept myself busy so I would have very little time dwelling on my incongruity. I spent nearly three decades in the music business.

Music was a perfect outlet for me. I began writing music at about the age of thirteen and was fortunate to have several successes along the way. Although I will always be a songwriter, I really enjoy writing stories as well as helping others tell their stories.

Interview with Alison Ashdown

Monika: Today I am going to talk to Alison Ashdown, an inspirational transgender woman from Toronto, Canada. Alison is a fashion model, actress, film writer/director, and transactivist. Her artistic short film “Forever Changed” was produced and released online in 2020. Hello Alison!

Alison: Hello Monika! Thank you for having me!

Monika: You are a woman of many talents. Could you say a few words about yourself?

Alison: Yeah certainly! Let’s see. Well, I love to try new things when I get that passionate interest peaking. It’s how I ended up in modeling, film, fashion studies, and ballet. One day, I asked my friend to do a photoshoot with me and that blossomed into a dream come true with modeling. I’ve been published four times and participated in several runway events.

In fact, at the end of my first year in 2019, I was chosen to walk the runway in Los Angeles for the Equality Fashion Week. Had the time of my life! And with the confidence I gained in front of the camera and on stage, I moved to try my hand at writing a film and subsequently acting and directing it as well. And since then, I moved to Toronto to study fashion management at George Brown College and recreationally train in the Royal Academy of Dance classical ballet program.