Difference between revisions of "Roberta Cowell"
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'''Roberta Cowell''' (born 1921 in Croydon) was the first known British male-to-female transsexual to undergo [[sex reassignment surgery]].<ref><cite>Roberta Cowell, the First British Transsexual</cite>, Transgender Zone Media Archives. http://www.transgenderzone.com/features/roberta_cowell.htm</ref> | '''Roberta Cowell''' (born 1921 in Croydon) was the first known British male-to-female transsexual to undergo [[sex reassignment surgery]].<ref><cite>Roberta Cowell, the First British Transsexual</cite>, Transgender Zone Media Archives. http://www.transgenderzone.com/features/roberta_cowell.htm</ref> | ||
| − | Born Robert Cowell, she was a Spitfire pilot in World War II and a racing driver after the war. She had a vaginoplasty in 1951, via a surgical method invented and performed by Dr Harold Gillies. This occurred two years before | + | Born Robert Cowell, she was a Spitfire pilot in World War II and a racing driver after the war. She had a vaginoplasty in 1951, via a surgical method invented and performed by Dr Harold Gillies. This occurred two years before Christine Jorgensen's surgery in Denmark. Roberta Cowell's surgical transformation and friendship with the female-to-male transsexual [[Michael Dillon]], also operated on by Dr Harold Gillies, is documented in the book "The First Man-Made Man" by [[Pagan Kennedy]] [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/books/review/Roach.t.html?ex=1331784000&en=7d2bd0c4d7848926&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink]. Roberta's life is described in her biography, <cite>Roberta Cowell's Story</cite>.<ref><cite>Roberta Cowell's Story</cite> by Roberta Cowell, Heinemann, 1954</ref> |
Roberta was able to have her birth certificate changed (something which later became impossible until the recent [[Gender Recognition Act]]) and was thus technically in a same-sex marriage until her divorce. | Roberta was able to have her birth certificate changed (something which later became impossible until the recent [[Gender Recognition Act]]) and was thus technically in a same-sex marriage until her divorce. | ||
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<references> | <references> | ||
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| + | Partly based on the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Cowell | ||
[[Category:Trans]] | [[Category:Trans]] | ||
[[Category:Croydon]] | [[Category:Croydon]] | ||
Revision as of 16:43, 31 December 2011
Roberta Cowell (born 1921 in Croydon) was the first known British male-to-female transsexual to undergo sex reassignment surgery.[1]
Born Robert Cowell, she was a Spitfire pilot in World War II and a racing driver after the war. She had a vaginoplasty in 1951, via a surgical method invented and performed by Dr Harold Gillies. This occurred two years before Christine Jorgensen's surgery in Denmark. Roberta Cowell's surgical transformation and friendship with the female-to-male transsexual Michael Dillon, also operated on by Dr Harold Gillies, is documented in the book "The First Man-Made Man" by Pagan Kennedy [1]. Roberta's life is described in her biography, Roberta Cowell's Story.[2]
Roberta was able to have her birth certificate changed (something which later became impossible until the recent Gender Recognition Act) and was thus technically in a same-sex marriage until her divorce.
In 2010, Croydon Trans Group held a celebration of Roberta Cowell's life as part of LGBT History Month.[3]
References
- ↑ Roberta Cowell, the First British Transsexual, Transgender Zone Media Archives. http://www.transgenderzone.com/features/roberta_cowell.htm
- ↑ Roberta Cowell's Story by Roberta Cowell, Heinemann, 1954
- ↑ A celebration of Roberta Cowell: http://www.croydontrans.org.uk/roberta.htm
