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| April Ashley: MBE for transgender campaigner | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The first Briton to undergo sex-change surgery has received her MBE medal for services to transgender equality. | |
| Liverpool-born actress and campaigner April Ashley was honoured during the investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. | |
| Born George Jamieson in Liverpool in 1935, she underwent gender reassignment surgery in Morocco in 1960. | Born George Jamieson in Liverpool in 1935, she underwent gender reassignment surgery in Morocco in 1960. |
| She went on to have a successful modelling career, often appearing in Vogue magazine. | She went on to have a successful modelling career, often appearing in Vogue magazine. |
| Her divorce in 1970 from Arthur Corbett made the headlines when the judge ruled that despite her surgery she remained a biological man and therefore the marriage was invalid and annulled. | Her divorce in 1970 from Arthur Corbett made the headlines when the judge ruled that despite her surgery she remained a biological man and therefore the marriage was invalid and annulled. |
| The ruling ended the hopes of any transsexuals marrying until 2004 when the Gender Recognition Act allowed people to legally change gender. | The ruling ended the hopes of any transsexuals marrying until 2004 when the Gender Recognition Act allowed people to legally change gender. |
| Ms Ashley had joined the Navy at 14 but felt isolated and attempted suicide. She moved to Paris in the 1950s and started dressing as a woman, before finding success as a performer at Le Carrousel nightclub. | |
| She underwent experimental gender reassignment surgery in 1960 in Casablanca, despite being told by the doctor there was only a 50/50 chance of survival. | |
| After returning to England and becoming a model, she was outed as a transsexual by the Sunday People in 1961. | |
| Ms Ashley was made an MBE in this summer's Queen's Birthday Honours list. | Ms Ashley was made an MBE in this summer's Queen's Birthday Honours list. |