Pianist describes life in music world post-sexual reassignment surgery

[Shana A]

Pianist describes life in music world post-sexual reassignment surgery

By Morgana Russino
October 1, 2010

http://thebrandeishoot.com/articles/8529

Internationally renowned pianist Sara David Buechner spoke about her experiences as a pianist and as a transgendered woman at the seventh annual Eleanor Roosevelt Lecture in Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Tuesday.

Buechner, who was born and and lived as a boy, David, until her gender reassignment surgery in 1998, expressed feeling ill-equipped to talk about gender differences because she said they are not easily simplified and that everyone has their own story.

Still, she said that with her decision to become a female, she "lost all the privileges of the straight, male, white world," but that she does not regret it.

[Muffin]

[azSam]

After years of ridicule and dealing with rejection and criticism, especially from the musical world, Buechner decided to finally do what she wanted to. She traveled to Bangkok, where she had gender reassignment surgery and was given numerous hormone injections.

I read the article and it didn't mention that she had started HRT prescribed by a psychiatrist, or got any letters from a psychiatrist for any type of a procedure. Did she completely bypass the standards of care?

Edit: Oh I see from the video that she is a bit older, I guess the standards of care were probably substantially different back then.