NYC Trans Oral History Project

Sonia Martinez moved from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn at the age of 9, and has been living in New York City for the past 60+ years. In this interview, she talks about her romantic relationships, introduction to hormones, family ties, and her experience with depression. She shares vivid memories of nights out at the Gilded Grape, La Escuelita, Sally's and more; interactions with the Black Panther Party...

Ilan N. talks about a variety of struggles and challenges in his transition, despite being very privileged by having access to insurance and a good support network from his family. He speaks about stigma and animosity against phalloplasty within the transman community as well as the side effects of therapies that are often not talked about. He reflects on the recovery post-surgery and the burden o...

Saje Liese was born on Long Island and moved to NYC after 10 years of living in the country. She is a “true blue New Yorker” and tech engineer. In this interview, Saje discusses Dungeons & Dragons, the many “worlds" of New York City (burners, gamers, queer people, etc.), dating, coming out, healthcare, and the workplace. (Summary by Evie Zavidow.)

Moira Airington and Nicole White are a married couple who both identify as trans women. They discuss their experience with family, education, and the working world, as well as the story of how they first met, dated, and eventually married. Moira shares her experiences with gender identity and presentation, and working as an EMT while dealing with unstable access to housing. Nicole elaborates on he...

Zephyr D Merkur Herrera describes their early years in the greater NYC area, Argentina and California. Zephyr recounts their involvement in the Brooklyn queer punk scene and working with Taking Back Queens, and dives into tattoos, injuries, chosen family and the foibles of being polyamorous while queer. (Summary by Robert Schofield.)

Julian Honkasalo describes growing up in Finland, living in Sweden and New York City and his gradual discovery of and engagement with queerness and masculinity. He describes his research work concerning such topics as gender studies, political science, philosophy, and trans history. Julian also describes the LGBTQ party scene in New York City in the 2010’s. (Summary by Garrett Wood.)

Dezi reflects on experiences at festivals such as Burning Man that helped to bring them out of their shell, coming to their non-binary identity. While struggling with little support from their conservative family, finding a companion has helped Dezi coming to her current experience of liberating self-acceptance.

Nogga Schwartz discusses his experience navigating masculinity and sexuality, surviving being homeless in Manhattan, the ideology of the gay and queer leather subculture. He also explores his family’s Israeli roots and his time exploring orthodox Judaism, and the struggle to find and create community. (Summary by Garrett Wood.)

Interview of Francois by NYC Trans Oral History Project

Interview of Eli Bodian by NYC Trans Oral History Project

Carolyn Connolly begins with her difficult childhood in a blue-collar Irish-Italian family in Flatlands, Brooklyn, her entry into metal scenes of NYC, and her radicalization into the Love and Rage Anarchist Federation. Later Carolyn is hired as the first trans woman employee at Babeland, a NYC feminist sex toy show featured in other interviews about their later unionization, and becomes active in...

Mountain is a self described non-binary, gender queer, gender agnostic. They discuss learning of their hypospadias in their adulthood and the ensuing difficulties of deciding if they could claim an intersex identity. While in Philadelphia Mountain was a member of the Radical Faeries and attended traditional art school though now they engage with less rigid social groups, and their art has become m...

Vivian Lopez Ponce discusses her close friendships with iconic trans women of the 1980s, including Sylvia Ray Rivera, Octavia Saint Laurent, and her work at Cat’s Bar and Sally’s Hideaway. Vivian also begins recounting growing up in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx, her unsupportive father, and her grandmother and mother’s support in returning to school for her diploma.

From Long Island, New York, Quito Ziegler was shaped by their childhood experiences in a Jewish family and community, becoming interested in non-violence. They went to college in Minnesota to pursue a career in photography, but ended up working for the Open Society Foundation as a Community Organizer. Quito discusses their work in sex-worker organizing, trans rights, and immigrant workers movement...

Kamryn Wolf was one of the union members and supporters who helped win a union contract at Babeland, a NYC sex toy store. In this interview, Kamryn discusses their suburban growing up and alienation at an elite prep school, their time at college, followed by moving to New York. They spent two years working for Third Root Health Center, a trans and queer inclusive holistic healing collective in Bro...

Andrea Long Chu is an emerging trans intellectual, writing on the politics of gender and desire. In this interview she recounts her growing up to a devoted Christian family in North Carolina, attending religious school, being a 'geek' and lover of theater, and radicalizing as a feminist, before discovering 'Theory' in her final year at Duke University. There she dived into critical feminist though...

Sindell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up as a child performer who got to travel the world as part of the Philadelphia Boys’ Choir. She attended the Philadelphia High School of Performing Arts, Academy for Music and even performed in the Nutcracker several times. After her grandmother passed away, Sindell left home before the age of 18. She worked as an escort in many different st...

Sophie Cadle was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights. In this interview, she talks about growing up "fast" in New York City, where she explored the underground LGBT community and left home at a young age. Sophie shares her experiences with homelessness, the criminal justice system/Rikers, mental health, and suicidal ideation. As she has gotten older, Sophie has develope...

Interview of Akasha Barker by NYC Trans Oral History Project

Aelita Parizek was born in Kansas, and grew up in Hawai’i. At age 18, they moved to New York and went to college at Parsons, and later Rhode Island School of Designs. Aelita currently runs a “self made” business and shows their art pieces, inspired by Dr. Pimple Popper and tyrpophobia, in NYC. Aelita also works as a cam girl, and creates their own hardware jewelry along with making her large artwo...

Son Kit is a Brooklyn-based artist and curator who currently holds degrees in both Visual Art and Literary Arts from Brown University. They reflect on their experience growing up in Koreatown, Los Angeles, as well as their experiences as a queer trans person of color. Kit expands on the ways in which they have dealt with gender policing, self-identification, and their art. (Summary by Vanessa Belf...

Interview of Lorenzo by NYC Trans Oral History Project

Interview of Jarrett Key by NYC Trans Oral History Project

Gia Love reflects on her life in the kiki ball scene, an underground queer and trans dance community in New York City. In kiki, particularly the House of Juicy, Gia found deep friendships and a supportive family that she was not able to find in her family of origin. Gia excelled as a kiki performer, winning many balls in the category of Realness. Gia also describes how becoming involved with compe...

Ash recounts growing up in a southern Bible Belt community. He details his journey from Georgia to Chicago where he completed his higher-level education and met his “chosen family.” Ash is currently the Manager of Bail Operations at Brooklyn Bail Fund in New York, an organization that fights for people of color against the criminal justice system. He shares of his plans to acquire a PhD in Crimino...