Transgender History

 English model April Ashley is credited as the first successful transgender model. She was born in Liverpool, England in 1935 and underwent sex reassignment surgery at age 25, making her one of the first Brits to have the procedure. 

After moving to London, she began booking gigs left and right with notable photographers. She also did runway and editorial work, appearing in high-profile magazines. After being outed by tabloids in 1961, her career was cut short. She has since been honored in an exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool and released an autobiography.

April Ashley

More than likely April Ashley, the 1960's transsexual icon, would have never dreamed her life's journey would have taken her to this place.

The 78 year old April is the focus for a new exhibition which opens on September 27 at the Museum of Liverpool. Her "Portrait's of a Lady"  will explore the story of the woman who was one of the first people in the world to undergo pioneering gender reassignment surgery.

To be sure, April Ashley's story is as current today as it was in the past: Born George Jamieson, the former model's remarkable journey went from suicide attempts and people spitting in her face to Buckingham Palace.

April in Liverpool

If you do not recall her story, April Ashley was outed as a transsexual in 1961 and her career was destroyed  and essentially she never worked again.

Through all of that though April refused to be bitter and got on with her life.  Eventually she was awarded the MBE for services to transgender equality: given to her by Prince Charles (left) who said it was a long time coming. She was also instrumental in bringing about changes like the Gender Recognition Act in 2004 which allowed her and others in her position to have her gender reflected on her birth certificate.

Of course there is much more to the April Ashley saga, go here to read more.

Classic Beauty

April Ashley, transgender transsexual British model
Check this quote:

"April, now 77-years-old, will be accepting an MBE from Queen Elizabeth
this fall. Which is interesting, because the <strike>reptilian
satanist<strike> Queen of England hasn't exactly been a major
supporter of the LGBT community. . . But I guess even her cold-blood
has warmed to April's pioneering legacy:"


From: "Blitz and Shitz" (Love it!)

Transsexual in the 60's.

Former British model April Ashley has found her way back into the limelight.
I'm going to pass along a  link to the UK Daily Mail and pass along a couple snippets here.

April Ashley Today

"Born plain George Jamieson, he became the first Briton to have a sex change and sparked countless lurid headlines.
Yesterday  the actress and campaigner April Ashley was appointed an MBE for services to transgender equality." 


In her glamorous heyday she became a Vogue model, seduced actors Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole and attracted the amorous attentions of Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
But her world came crashing down in the Sixties when a ‘friend’ sold her story to a newspaper and intimate details of how she had been turned from a man into a woman under a surgeon’s knife caused a sensation.
She bounced back, marrying an aristocrat but that only led to more astonishing revelations."

April Ashley

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2160560/April-Ashley-MBE-My-night-Micheal-Hutchence-Briton-sex-change.html#ixzz1y76lKXRt

Oldies but Goodies!

With all the recent buzz about the new transgender models, it's interesting to learn of some of the pioneers on the runways  Here are just a couple from the 60's!

In the early to mid 60's , April Ashley was not only a glamorous model, but  became a socialite as well, spending time with royalty throughout Europe. 

 In 1965  "Amnda Lear" began to model for the likes of Paco Rabanne and Yves St Laurent, and then became a muse for Salvador Dali.  She appeared on the cover of Brian Ferry's album "For Your Pleasure" in the early 1970s and then later started dating (and lived with) David Bowie. 

 

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