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WELCOME TO THE companion interview of Part 2 of The Trans-Atlantic Conversations with Diva Avari, an imposing Black American woman and powerful singer of House Music who lives in Paris. As I said in the first piece: Avari is a Presence. She has no fear. She is trans, and she’s had to fight so hard in her life to just be herself that she refuses to let anyone take advantage of her or put her down. Over the years of our friendship, she has educated me about racism and prejudice on both sides of the Atlantic.
In Part 2 of our conversation, Avari is deeply revealing about how she’s dealt with these painful social and personal issues—and how she’s protected herself—as well as other struggles in becoming her true self. One reason I felt this series was important is because the trans community has been cruelly attacked by the Trump Administration, a regime that has conducted a smear campaign against them just as they have immigrants, and just as the GOP has vilified people of color, now and in the past. And let’s not forget the Christian nationalists, who have weaponized religion against the entire trans (and LGBTQ+) community, who have not hurt anyone; they just want to be who they are and live their lives in peace.
If you missed the first written interview in the series, click here. And for its companion audio, click here. To read the written version of Part 2, click here. Our conversation continues in Part 3 next week.
Now, back to this companion conversation/Part 2. Avari’s father was in the military, and we pick up with her family moving back to the U.S. from Germany.
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