Bonnie Violet Quintana

In this powerful interview, Bonnie Violet Quintana reflects on her journey as a transgender, queer chaplain, activist, and artist who has long been involved in LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS advocacy in Idaho and beyond. She shares how transitioning brought clarity, joy, and spiritual renewal, even as it created distance with her family. Quintana recounts founding Trans Joy Boise, organizing Idaho’s first large-scale Trans March, and integrating drag, spirituality, and community-building into her public work. Her story highlights resilience, faith, and the importance of chosen family, offering a vision of joyful authenticity and healing for queer and trans people in red-state America.