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Transgender model April Ashley has died at age 86.
The British model, who was one of the first people in the world to undergo gender reassignment surgery in 1960, died in London on Dec. 27,Liverpool Echoreported.
“They all knew about my operation — they all knew who I was,” Ashley said, according toOut. “None of the photographers gave a damn about my past. They wanted me in their portfolio.”
Before Ashley’s transition, she joined the Merchant Navy in 1949 but was given a dishonorable discharge following a suicide attempt. She was later sent to a psychiatric hospital after a second suicide attempt, according to theBBC.
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In 1963, Ashley married British aristocrat Arthur Corbett, but they later divorced in 1969. Their marriage was annulled, setting a precedent in court because Ashley was assigned male gender at birth, the marriage was not legally sound. She went on to marry Jeffrey West in the 1980s.
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Among Ashley’s numerous awards and honors include a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) appointment in 2012 for her trailblazing work for transgender rights, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Liverpool and an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of London.
source: people.com
