When my mother was a young child growing up in Liverpool around 1939ish not far from the docks she used to play with a little boy whose name was George. George Lived in Pitt street a stones throw from the Albert dock. George was a girly kind of boy ( my mums words) but kids are kids and dont discriminate against each other.  When George got older he joined the navy  he was given a dishonourable discharge some time later for trying to commit suicide then ended up being admitted to a mental hospital. George moved to London and saved up the money to pay for sex reassignment surgery performed in Casablanca the op was a success. He them became known as April Ashley. April became a successful fashion model and appeared in Vogue i also think from memory that she was the model for lambs navy rum ( them big billboard ads) A so called friend exposed her to the media the Sunday peoples headlines read ” her secret is out ” which caused a lot of scandal in the 60s. April later wrote a book called ” The First Lady” A very honest, and moving account about one person’s journey to be herself. Rags to riches and plenty of gossip, telling of her many affairs with the likes of Peter Otool, Michael Hutchence , Omar  sharif  and many more. April  recieved the MBE for her services to transgender equality. A film company approached April to make a movie about her life, this is still in the making. In 2005 , after the passage of the gender recognition act, April was finally legally recognised as female and issued with a new birth certificate.  Today April is 83 years old and still a beauty , if you can get hold of her book it really is an interesting read.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by  Sophia.

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lindaclemenza7, mooosey88

@ Moose, I never knew what Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side referred to even though I have drunkenly sang it many many times. Pop does a brilliant job at raising awareness of these issues and promoting equality even if at the time the audience doesn’t know, or doesn’t care. Blur Girls and Boys being another example in more recent times.

2 members liked this post.

lindaclemenza7, mooosey88

Thanks Ge, yea, the main characters mentioned in the song, were real trans / gender fluid people, well known for frequenting Andy Warhol’s club, The Factory.

On a slightly different note, relating to Ruthless’ post, although I see no need for the silly ‘IT’ descriptions, we all know Ruthless likes to be shocking…..  however, if someone goes to a gay bar, or ‘gender fluid’ bar, club, etc etc, as a straight person, they should be aware all may not be quite what it seems and in my opinion have no right to feel ‘offended’ if they mistake someone for the wrong gender, but what if its a ‘ straight’ pub, club etc, ( I’ve put straight as opposed to ‘normal’ as not to offend those of us who feel what ever floats your boat is normal for you , maybe non specific bar would be a better description, anyway I digress…) So your’e in a ‘non specific’ bar, club, etc and you meet someone you fancy…. come the end of the night and its getting down to the nitty gritty ( or maybe after several dates even ), do you have the right to be well pissed off that the person you have invested time and possibly money in, turns out to be the opposite gender to what you thought and they hadn’t disclosed it ?  I mean it’s ok not to fancy / be interested physically, in people of the same sex as you isn’t it ?  Or is it ? ?

On a lighter note.

2 gay males are driving along a road when a lorry crashes into their car from the rear. One of the males gets out of the car and confronts the lorry driver. The lorry driver tells him to suck his private. Getting no where with the lorry driver he goes back to his car. His friend who is sitting in the car says,” well, what is happening”, he replied,” it looks like we are settling out of court.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by  Sophia.