Transgender pioneer April Ashley, 86, has died, prompting a flood of tributes to the “true trailblazer.” Her advocacy work on behalf of the transgender community earned her an MBE in 2012, making her one of the first Britons to undergo gender assignment surgery.
At the tender age of 17, Ashley left home and joined the Merchant Navy in Liverpool, where his working-class family had lived since the 1930s. She moved to London and subsequently Paris in 1955 after a series of failed suicide attempts and a stay in a mental hospital. She was able to save money for her gender reassignment surgery in Paris by performing at the Le Carrousel nightclub, which was known for its drag shows.
In Casablanca, Morocco, Ashley became just the second Briton to have male-to-female transition surgery. Afterward, she stated she was happier than she had ever been in her life.
When she returned to England, she received documents proving her gender as a woman, including a national insurance card, passport, and driver’s licence.
As a prominent model, she appeared in several films, including Road to Hong Kong with Bing Crosby and Joan Collins, as well as in Vogue magazine shoots.
In 1961, the Sunday People broke the news that she was transsexual. On the island of Gibraltar, she married the aristocracy Arthur Cameron Corbett. It was a historic legal decision when their divorce was finalised in 1970, when a court determined that the couple’s marriage was unlawful since they could not legally alter their sex.
As a result of the prejudice and persecution she suffered in her native country, Ashley fled to the west coast of the United States. When the Gender Recognition Act was passed in 2005, she was able to return to the UK.
Singer Boy George tweeted, “R.I.P. April Ashley! She’s both a natural force and a transgender deity!
Activist Peter Tatchell referred to her as “the greatest trans pathfinder for decades” and “hero.”
After being outed as trans, “I was very honored to know and support her during a time when she was demonised,” he added.
Tributes have been paid to Jake Graf, a transgender activist and performer, who has passed away. With her elegance and humility, April Ashley MBE was an inspiration to everyone she encountered.
“A true queen. Gone, but never forgotten. Rest in power.”
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