What It Was Like to Transition 50 Years Ago

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/11/what-it-was-like-to-transition-50-years-ago.html

By Jay Michaelson, 07.11.15

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, the activist Joanne Keatley tells her incredible story of harassment, homelessness, conflict, and triumph.

Most Americans have learned about transgender people only in the last few years, with celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and Chaz Bono helping to raise awareness of trans lives and identities. A few may remember Christine Jorgensen, whose 1952 sex change operation made headlines, the male-to-female tennis player Renee Richards, or queer liberation icons like Sylvia Rivera........
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Yes, there are also quite a few of us here on Susan`s (incl. me) whom transitioned many-many decades ago........and we`ve certainly seen plenty of change in the way 'we' are viewed and treated; both bad and good!

Certainly hard yards... real guts and determination.

From my part... I wish I knew then what I know now, well back in the late nineties, till then I did not know anything about GID/->-bleeped-<-... lived in hiding and followed the male model, just covering and hiding internal anguish! What a euphoric moment knowing I was not alone and it was recognised!

But that, is unfortunately, life!

Katy xx

Not 50 years ago but more than 40 for me.

I didn't read the whole story - too painful to remember - but it was certainly a different world. Back then, in the 1950s and 60s, the isolation and lack of resources were the worst. The medical profession also considered it  to be a mental disorder and were inclined to institutionalize transsexuals (along with wonderful things like electro-shock therapy, forces hormone therapy, and even lobotomy!)

It wasn't until Dr. Benjamin's book "The Transsexual Phenomenon" in 1966 that things started to change. Even then change was VERY slow! By the late 1970s most doctors still knew nothing of transsexualism and SRS was almost impossible to get.

I remember April Ashley in my home city of Liverpool. She is now 80 and was honoured this year as a leader of transgender rights by the City.

Oddly in 1965 I was a child, and although I didnt fully transition at that time, that was the year my parents allowed me to start some limited expression of my female identity... it wasnt as courageous as what this lady did - but it was enough to keep me sane, and I suspect probably cost my parents a few friends or at least some criticism of their liberality.

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 07:53:12 AM
I remember April Ashley in my home city of Liverpool. She is now 80 and was honoured this year as a leader of transgender rights by the City.

My mother was a BBC radio talks producer and I believe may have interviewed April Ashley for Womens Hour... which may partly explain why she was so supportive of me.

Quote from: CollieLass on July 13, 2015, 07:37:41 AM
Yes, there are also quite a few of us here on Susan`s (incl. me) whom transitioned many-many decades ago........and we`ve certainly seen plenty of change in the way 'we' are viewed and treated; both bad and good!

Was also commenting on this very point in another thread - I never expected to be able to train for medicine as a transwoman! 

I believe she is also a Dame. So a lady by birth, by transition and a Lady by marriage (she married a Baron, I think)

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 08:04:28 AM
I believe she is also a Dame. So a lady by birth, by transition and a Lady by marriage (she married a Baron, I think)

Yes she married the Hon Arthur Corbett - 3rd Baron Rowallan.

Unfortunately for her when he realised that she could not have children his family put pressure on him to end the marriage as there could be no heir.

At the time UK law had no easy divorce - and so he decided to get the marriage annulled using the argument that his wife was actually a man...

Until 1970 when Mr Justice Ormrod ruled on the case birth certificates had been adjusted post-op in the UK but because at the time there was no understanding of the pre-natal hormonal and neuroanatomical causes of the condition, which are now well established, Justice Ormrod ruled that once rearing had commenced in a gender then that became inviolate and thus birthe certificates could not be adjusted and whatever you had been registered as WAS your legal sex.

As a result loads of us who transitioned in the 70's and 80's in the Uk had to live for years with ambiguous primary documentation of identity - we could change driving license and passport - but not birth certificate - and thus if we were ever in court we were in the impossible situation that a legal oponent could make us whichever gender put us at disadvantage - thus it was impossible to marry, it was impossible to claim sexual assault, sex discrimination, and there was basically no legal rights.

It wasnt until 2004 and the gender recognition act, to which I and several otheres contributed, and which was drafted by professor Steven Whittle, whom I know a little, that this wholly unjust situation was righted.

Interesting history of our community! I believe the woman who worked in a James Bond movie had a similar marriage issue. Her boyfriend's family killed the marriage using her birth status.

I had the pleasure of having a very pleasant glass of malt with Steven when I was at WPATH. I had been told that he was starting to dement, but fortunately he was quite lucid and had his faculties. He still had his bad temper as well!

Always fascinates me how in past eras gross injustice was totally unnoticed.

Makes you wonder what sort of things are going on in 2015 under our noses that will horrify future generations.

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 08:27:48 AM
Interesting history of our community! I believe the woman who worked in a James Bond movie had a similar marriage issue. Her boyfriend's family killed the marriage using her birth status.

I had the pleasure of having a very pleasant glass of malt with Steven when I was at WPATH. I had been told that he was starting to dement, but fortunately he was quite lucid and had his faculties. He still had his bad temper as well!

Yes I do recall from my days working at The London Institute of Human sexuality with him, that he didnt suffer fools gladly!

The Bond Girl was of course Caroline (Cossey) aka Tula whom I have also met... She and I were contemporaries and patients of the late rather difficult Dr John Randall - who could be an absolute B*****d! He was sod who refused to treat me till I was 21 and told the sixteen year old me to "enjoy finally becomming a proper man", as puberty struck!

Nice to know steven is still around... haven't spoken to him in over a decade.

However I do feel this thread would not be complete without mention of Roberta Cowell, the very fist modern SRS patient - predating Jorgenson by over a year.

The first SRS operation was carrried out in the UK by Mr Harold Gilies a very talented surgeon and the father of modern plastic and Aesthetic surgery.

Incidentally Roberta was his second op - his first was an FtM - carried out in 1946 on Michael (nee Laura) Dillon.

The Gillies FtM operation was, by all accounts way ahead of its time, and in many respect better than some modern techniques.

So all the Americans who think they invented the procedure - are actually wrong! It was us Brits who were the real pioneers.

In some ways, Suzi, I feel we have moved forward, at other times I feel so frustrated at the slow progress.

Sorry if this is reflective.

Without the internet we would be nowhere. The ladies and man we just mentioned fought their battles alone, with newspapers that crucified them as freaks. Fodder for the Sunday morning perving crowd. That they survived is a tribute to personal strength that sometimes appears missing in our community now. Yes we have leaders and yes some of us are activists who try to look after their brothers and sisters. But lord knows where they got their courage from.

I so admire their inner strength.

I thank them, because without them I think most of us would not achieved our lives.

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 08:50:54 AM
with newspapers that crucified them as freaks. Fodder for the Sunday morning perving crowd.

In my case with the headline "Sex change Jenny has Rolls Royce Orgasms" I'm not even going to tell you which year or what paper that was in - but if you know the 1980's british sundays you might guess. It was my own fault of course... never talk to journos, but it took a bit of living down in my high profile job at that time.

Then a few years later in a slightly better paper "Sex change Jenny wants baby" which went on "and thanks to pioneering research being done by Dr xxxx at xxxx hospital it may soon be possible for her to do so..." (some of us just never learn to keep our mouths shut do we?  )

Sadly the funding for that research was withdrawsn so I never got the chance to find out...

Jenny,
I have a slide of a painting/woodcut of a 'sex change' surgery mtf, from the 1800's! In the UK!

Harold Gilles came later!

I know you would love it. I use it in public lectures. I'll dig it out and send a copy.

And of course, no anaesthesia beyond chloroform or ether.

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 08:59:49 AM
Jenny,
I have a slide of a painting/woodcut of a 'sex change' surgery mtf, from the 1800's! In the UK!

Harold Gilles came later!

I know you would love it. I use it in public lectures. I'll dig it out and send a copy.

And of course, no anaesthesia beyond chloroform or ether.

WHOA! Awesome - yes - I'll use that when I give my annual lecture on GID to the first year medics this year. Would need it by october...

Quote from: Rejennyrated on July 13, 2015, 09:01:54 AM

Quote from: Cindy on July 13, 2015, 08:59:49 AM
Jenny,
I have a slide of a painting/woodcut of a 'sex change' surgery mtf, from the 1800's! In the UK!

Harold Gilles came later!

I know you would love it. I use it in public lectures. I'll dig it out and send a copy.

And of course, no anaesthesia beyond chloroform or ether.

WHOA! Awesome - yes - I'll use that when I give my annual lecture on GID to the first year medics this year. Would need it by october...

Sure, I'll talk about it privately from now on. You know the reasons!

The world is a small place at times. The owner/empire of the disgusting newspaper (it does not deserve naming) that would have insulted you started in Adelaide and now the owner infects the USA besides the UK.

In fact he owns Fox News!

Wonderful human being.

I'm sure He has done great good.

Thanks everyone,

Great thread, very informative.

Paige

Sorry Paige I think we had two old ladies reminiscing. Well one old lady and I kept her company, as youngsters do.

<I shall go and hide!>

Quote from: Rejennyrated on July 13, 2015, 08:56:38 AM
"Sex change Jenny has Rolls Royce Orgasms"

They`re a nicely engineered vehicle, that`s for sure!..........but wasn`t that going (or coming) a bit too far with the appreciation?!?!?