Interview with Nofar Morali

Monika: Today I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Nofar Morali, an inspirational Israeli model, YouTube vlogger, social media influencer, and transgender woman that shares her transition story on social media. Shalom Nofar!

Nofar: Hi Monika! So glad to be a guest on your blog!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nofar: I’m a free spirit that loves nature and my passion is to share my journey with people here on my social media platforms!

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments via social media?

Nofar: Since the beginning of my transition I have watched many trans YouTubers who have helped me a lot throughout my transition, and now that I’m at that point where I can help others I’m so glad to do it!

Interview with Lenka Králová

Monika: Today I have invited Lenka Králová, one of the most inspirational transgender activists from the Czech Republic. Her vlog “V Tranzu” provides information about transgender-related topics and includes interviews with Czech transgender women and friends of the Czech transgender community. Hello Lenka!

Lenka: Hello! Thank you very much for the introduction and let me greet all readers!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lenka: I am 40 years old, I live in Prague. It took me a long time to realize my identity, so at the age of 38, I started taking hormones. My marriage broke up after 15 years because of that, but we have a friendly relationship with a nine-year-old son who makes me very happy.

Interview with Erica Burns

Monika: Today I would like to present to you Erica Burns, an American comedian, model, and vlogger documenting her transition on YouTube. Hello Erica!

Erica: Hi Monika. Thank you so much for featuring me in your blog. It is a huge honor.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Erica: Most definitely. I am a transgender woman living in the United States, currently in the process of fighting to complete my medical transition from male to female.

Monika: You uploaded your first video into YouTube in June 2012. What inspired you to start your vlog?

Erica: That is correct. Back then, I was inspired by female comedians like Sarah Silverman and her show, The Sarah Silverman Program, along with Chelsea Handler and her shows Chelsea Lately and After Lately. That summer between college semesters, I decided to get silly and creative and put myself out there on YouTube in a comedic fashion, hoping it would make me famous.

Interview with Dimitria Sparrow

Monika: Today I would like to present to you Dimitria Sparrow, a Canadian makeup artist, and beauty vlogger. Her YouTube vlog provides trans women and crossdressers with beauty knowledge about makeup, fashion, etiquette, as well as transition challenges. Hello Dimitria!

Dimitria: Hello, Monika! Thanks so much for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Dimitria: I’m Dimitria, I make beauty videos on the Internet. For some reason, I have a vanilla look right now while still being the angsty and neurotic girl everyone knows and tolerates LOL.

Monika: You uploaded your first video to YouTube in June 2020. What inspired you to start your vlog?

Dimitria: Transitioning in itself is very difficult, and presenting feminine is just as hard. Here I was at 19 with no idea how to do makeup, feminize my voice, tuck, or pick out breast forms for myself. It was so intimidating and overwhelming that I decided to educate myself on everything I wanted to know in feminizing my appearance. I wanted to give like-minded people this knowledge to where transitioning on the outside is exciting rather than scary, to alleviate dysphoria and prove that the perfect image of yourself is more than possible.

Interview with Chloe Pickard

Monika: Today I am going to take you to Melbourne in Australia where our guest Chloe Pickard lives. Chloe is one of my favorite YouTube vloggers. In her videos, she covers all aspects of her transition, providing inspiration to thousands of her followers. So I am going to chat with her about all that trans girls and women are curious about. Hello Chloe!

Chloe: Hi Monika, I love your blog!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Chloe: Sure, I'm a Trans woman who lived a pretty stealth life (I still do in Australia) and has gone through some rough patches to become the woman I am today.

Monika: Chloe is such a nice name. Why did you choose it?

Chloe: Honestly, it wasn't difficult. In the very early stages of my transition, the name just came to me and I was like: Yeah I feel like Chloe, haha!

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Chloe: When I began my YouTube channel, it was when I lost my job after coming out as Trans. I began sharing as I felt like I was living this double life. In my day to day, I went to work (at my new job) and could never talk about being Transgender, in case I became unemployable.

Interview with Marcie Primrose

Monika: Today I am going to interview Marcie Primrose, an American vlogger that shares her transition story on social media. Hello Marcie!

Marcie: Hey Monika! It's wonderful to meet you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Marcie: I'm a gal on a gender journey. I've spent my entire adult life exploring who I want to be. It's a bit daunting to realize you can be whoever you want. Now I'm a punk-goth-pastel-fem-Egirl sharing her body with the world. I want everyone to know that a woman can look like me too.

Monika: Marcie is a nice name. Why did you choose it?

Marcie: I'm a huge Adventure Time fan. My favorite character is Marceline, a powerful sapphic vampire. What more could I ask for in a character? I shortened that to Marcie to sound less formal.

Interview with Antin Belizar

Monika: Today I am meeting Antin Belizar, a Filipino make-up and hairstylist, and YouTube vlogger. It has been 10 years since she launched her Antin Belizar vlog where she shares her beauty tips and transition story. Hello Antin!

Antin: Hi Monika! I'm really glad to answer your questions and thank you for this opportunity.️

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Antin: My name is Antin. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I am proud to say that I am a transgender woman. I work as a call center agent in the BPO industry as my main source of income. Sometimes I like to indulge in little activities to help me escape from reality. That's how my YouTube channel was created. In my channel, you will see me create different makeup Inspirations and most importantly some videos I have shared about my true Identity. I'm just a normal person; I'm far from being perfect. I'm just me.️

Interview with Destiny Maylas

Monika: Destiny Maylas is an Australian transgender advocate and vlogger of Filipino origin. Her Destiny Maylas vlog on YouTube can boast over 25 thousand subscribers that follow Destiny's recommendations about HRT, MTF transition, transgender life, surgeries, and everything related to being Transgender. Hello Destiny!

Destiny: Hello Monika. Thanks for having me.

Monika: How are you holding up in the crazy pandemic times?

Destiny: Thank you for asking. I am doing okay but I'd say things can be better, you know. I hope you're doing well too.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Destiny: I am a curly Filipina transgender woman of color who is very passionate about my advocacy of safe HRT for Trans Pinays, which is the main focus of my YouTube Channel, where transwomen all around the world who have no choice but to do DIY-HRT can benefit from.

Interview with Monica Rose

Monika: Today I am meeting Monica Rose, a Canadian make-up and hair artist, and transgender YouTube vlogger. It has been almost 4 years since she launched her Elle Rose vlog where she chronicles the most important moments of her transition. Hello Monica!

Monica: Thank you Monika for the opportunity to interview me and give me a chance to share my story.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Monica: I currently live in Toronto, Canada, and I grew up on Vancouver Island in a small town called Port Alberni. I moved to the "big city" so I could pursue an education. I have, as you know, a background in hair and makeup, and as a hobby, I like playing video games.

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

Monica: I decided to share my transition online because I thought it would be a good opportunity to help other people. I started my transition more than ten years ago when very little information was available for people who wanted to transition and to change a legal name or to update the gender marker on a passport would be very difficult if not impossible. I wanted to be able to share how I was able to do it to help other people as well.

Interview with Damnlera

Monika: Today I am going to interview Damnlera, a young trans girl, digital illustrator, and social media influencer from Russia. Hello Lera!

Lera: Hello Monika! Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Lera: I’m a transgender woman. I transitioned 11 years ago. I work as a digital illustrator. In addition, I post on my YouTube channel and Makeup Art Instagram.

Monika: What inspired you to share your intimate life moments on social media?

Lera: The idea of making someone become more confident about themselves is very much inspiring for me. I want to inspire people of any age, gender, or nationality to be what they really are and be proud of it. We are all beautiful and we are all talented, so making people feel great about themselves is what I really want to do.

Interview with JaiLynn Joanna Desvignes

Monika: Today I am meeting JaiLynn Joanna Desvignes, an American transgender activist, model, and YouTube vlogger and influencer. Her vlog 'To Whom It May Concern' chronicles her own transition and provides recommendations to the transgender community all over the world. Hello JaiLynn!

JaiLynn: Hello Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

JaiLynn: Sure... My name is Jailynn-Joanna, originally from New York and currently residing in the Bronx. I am a niece, a daughter, and a friend who loves living life and loves the life I’ve been given. 

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

JaiLynn: When I began my transition several years ago, it was a very lonely journey in the beginning and I had to do a great deal of the research and journeying on my own. I also met other trans folk along the way who felt the same way but didn’t have the courage to share the most intimate details of their lives.

Interview with Nicola Nilla

Monika: Today I am meeting Nicola Nilla, an American YouTube vlogger. It has been almost 16 months since she launched her Nicola Nilla vlog where she shares her transition Story. Hello Nicola!

Nicola: Hi Monika! I can't believe it's already been 16 months since this all started.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Nicola: Yeah! I am a 27-year-old transwoman from San Francisco with a background in education. However, I like to dabble in a lot of different things like fashion styling, MUA, modeling, and photography. I like anything that allows me to express my true self!

Monika: Nicola is such a lovely name. How come you chose it?

Nicola: So it's kind of a funny story. My birth initials are NBL, and I wanted to keep those the same during the name change -- mostly out of simplicity but to also respect my parents. I already knew I wanted a unique "N" name when I was watching one of my favorite 2000s teen movies, Superbad. The side character, McLovin, spends half the movie obsessing over this girl he barely knows, Nicola. She really only represents that hot girl every guy wants to hook up with, and I thought that was badass so I took that name for myself haha! It's kind of a weird inspiration, but it stuck hehe.

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 Samantha Lauzon

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Samantha Lauzon, a Canadian model, actress, vlogger, transgender rights activist. Hello Samantha!
Samantha: Hello Monika, thanks so much for having me it's an honor.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Samantha: A few words about myself? It's weird right when we are asked about others we have so many opinions but when it comes to ourselves it's almost like pulling teeth to get us to say anything. I like to think I'm a fair person, open-minded, and incredibly supportive of my community. Currently working in the Adult Film Industry as an Actress, Director, and Producer of my own content. While I'm not filming or editing I'm working on my YouTube and other Social Media content.

Interview with Lyra

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Lyra, a young American video blogger that documents her transition as ButterfLyra on YouTube. Hello Lyra!
Lyra: Hello Monika! 
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Lyra: My name is Lyra and I'm a 20-year-old transgender woman. I love music, fashion, flowers, and most of all I love people.
Lyra: I was tempted not to, but the reason I did was because of the amount it inspired me to see other transwomen who transitioned on YouTube. People like Violet, Princess Joules, and other amazing women really helped me discover who I was. I wanted to give back to the community that made me the person I am today.

Interview with Brianna Tuerff

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Brianna Tuerff, a transgender woman who makes electronic and instrumental metal music under the alias ‘Brianna and the VSTs’. She documents her transition on Reddit.com as Neonnimrod and on YouTube with her channel BriannaIsGreat. Hello Brianna!

Brianna: Hello! Thanks for having me!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Brianna: Well, my love and passion is music. Everything to do with writing it, playing it, recording and producing it, etc. The science of sound has always fascinated me. My first serious musical project was a comedy punk band called Thunder Stump that I fronted years before I figured out that I was transgender. This helped me let out some rage.

My life pre-transition isn’t really fun to look back on, but I do have a comfortable nostalgia in listening to a wide variety of music and playing Super Nintendo games as they both remind me of the bits of my childhood where I could zone out of reality. I was born in and currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States, but I feel that my future in creative success lies elsewhere.

Interview with Kenna Aloi

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Kenna Aloi, an American video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube in her vlog Kenna's World. Hello Kenna!

Kenna: Hey Monika, I am so happy to be able to have this interview with you to be able to share my story on another platform, thank you so much for reaching out to me, I really appreciate it!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Kenna: So as you know by now my name is Kenna Aloi, I am currently 22, and I am a hardworking millennial. I work 7 days a week and try to manage a YouTube channel on top of that and try to fit in some personal life as well.
Monika: Why did you decide to share your transition details on YouTube?
Kenna: I love doing update videos on my life, where I am at, what I am doing. It's like an online diary that I get to share with the world hoping that people can relate and maybe be able to help them from my personal experiences. I can also look back and see how far I came from leaving my digital mark on the world which will probably last forever.

Interview with Ally

Today’s interview will be with Ally, a transgender woman that documents her transition on Reddit.com as Hey_Im_Allison. More recently she has launched the YouTube channel Allycat Makeup, which aims to help Transgender women learn to do makeup. Hello Ally!

Ally: It’s a real pleasure to speak with you, Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Ally: I am a 25-year-old transgender woman and I have been transitioning since June of 2016! The three things that I enjoy the most in my life are traveling, music and makeup. I’ve managed to see 15 different countries, played guitar for half of my life, and in the last 7 months became absolutely makeup obsessed. I’m openly trans and believe in being proud of being transgender.

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

Ally: When I had first truly admitted to myself that I was transgender and needed to move forward with the transition, I had wanted to express those thoughts in a very concrete manner. I suppose posting on Reddit was my way of declaring it to the world in a way that I could not take back. From that point onward I felt it would be an interesting way to document my journey and how much has changed.

Interview with Anshu Christa Jacobson

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Anshu Christa Jacobson, the Headmistress of the Budo Ryu Kai, one of the most sought after instructors in the traditional and eclectic martial traditions, member of the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and said to be the only non-Japanese to receive a Menkyo Kaiden (The highest level license that exists in Japanese martial arts.) and Sokeship (inheritor and grandmaster) of a koryu bujutsu/ninjutsu tradition. Hello Anshu!

Anshu: Hello! It is an honor to be asked to do an interview with you!

Monika: You are quite a lady, could you say a few words about yourself?
Anshu: Well… I’m a very eclectic person that does many things. Outside of the martial arts I also work in the adult entertainment industry as an escort/courtesan (geisha) and erotic dancer.
I’m also very open about my spirituality as I am an active pagan who practices Wicca. Wicca is a nature religion, that is derived from very old spiritual and magical practices that help one become more connected to the earth.

Interview with SOSara

Monika: Today’s interview will be with Sara, a Canadian video blogger that documents her transition on YouTube as SOSara. Hello Sara!

SOSara: Hey Monika, thanks for giving me an opportunity to share my story and hopefully reach those who need some uplifting and those who need a better understanding of us.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

SOSara: I’m really just a regular person. I didn’t transition and decide hey, now that I’m finally expressing myself as a woman, I should become a super glam diva! I just work hard to live my life to the fullest and give my 2 beautiful daughters the best life possible. 

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

SOSara: I'm sharing all my transition details from the ups to the downs because I feel like people need a better understanding of what it’s like in our shoes, and people aren’t getting that from Caitlyn Jenner unfortunately.

I also share it all to help the transgender community know that they aren’t alone in their struggles, but that they too can get through it and be happy and confident in their skin.