#caroline cossey

[uwmspeccoll]

International Trans Day of Visibility

Today we are spotlighting a few of the books from our LGBTQ+ Collection that highlight trans lives and issues. Check out the photo captions to find out what books the images came from. 

International Transgender Day of Visibility was created in 2009 by therapist and transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker, partially as counterweight to Trans Day of Remembrance, a day of memoriam for all those lost to transgender violence. Crocker wanted "a day that we can just celebrate being ourselves.” More recently, Crocker spoke about the double-edge sword of visibility for trans folks, and called on allies of trans people to make themselves more visible. So for all the cis people reading this, think hard about how you are going to show up for the trans community today, and every day. 

-Olivia Hickner, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[chicinsilk]

Life Helmets 1978 - Life is Full of Surprises ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Californian-made Life caused a massive stir in the late ’70s with its campaign featuring body-painted models Tula Cossey aka Caroline Cossey and Diane West. The shooting of the ads was featured, revealingly, in Aussie magazine Revs.

[windowpainblues]

[goingrampant]

Caroline Cossey, a British trans woman model, appears in a suggestive ad for Smirnoff vodka, 1980.

Before rainbow capitalism, we had fetishization. Not sure which is better. The age of the ad is interesting, though. A trans woman in center focus sold vodka to cis men in 1980.

[patart-illustrations-stuff]

Caroline Cossey

[normporn]

[tenth-sentence]

Cossey was recognised as a woman by the European Court of Human Rights and married her husband.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[aytvill]

The official promo video for 'Some Like It Hot' by The Power Station.

It was the The Power Station 's biggest hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The video featured the #transgender #model Caroline Cossey, also known as Tula.

[fadedday]

Caroline Cossey

[chicinsilk]

Caroline Cossey, aka Tula au Supernation Custom car Show dans une tenue révélatrice de l'ère spatiale alors qu'elle pose à Olympia à Londres. 30 octobre 1981. Photo PA.

Caroline Cossey, dite Tula at the Supernation Custom Car Show in a revealing space age outfit as she poses at Olympia in London. 30 October 1981. Photo PA.

[windowpainblues]

[theonlyladyt]

Watch The Beautiful Laverne Cox Break Down HerActing Career... An Honest Discussion Around The World Of A Someone Identifying As Transgender..

enjoy lovelies and happy holidays where ever you are! xx

Hello lovelies, I really want to get this piece of writing right, to be very sensitive to the reader regardless of who you identify as or not as the individual case may be. I was raised to be respectful to others in the way you would expect to be treated. To be a kind human, caring courteous compassionate to everyone I meet regardless of your identity. I’ve always been open-minded to human…

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

Bond: (Watching the villains lair burn to the ground after saving the day)It looks like Trans Rights

Just put an end to some Cis WRONGS

Tula: A lot of people just DIED James

Bond: Puns are what I use instead of therapy

[sheinheels]

Caroline Cossey

[gladtobeagirl]

This is the incredible Caroline Cossey. She is probably the person who has had the greatest influence upon my development as a transwoman and my becoming the woman I am today. I'll explain why later. Some of you may know of her and her story already. If you do, please bear with me while I recount her story and try to explain why I admire her so much.

Caroline Cossey is a British model, author and actress who was born in Norfolk, England, in 1954. Through puberty Caroline was distinctly feminine in appearance due to an intersex variation of XXXY syndrome. Growing up she experienced confusing feelings about her gender and was bullied by her peers due to her feminine appearance and behaviour. At 16 she left home and moved to London.

She started transitioning while working as an usherette in London's West End. By the age of 17 Caroline was receiving hormone therapy and working full-time in a female gender role as a showgirl. At this stage she had not told her family about her transition and continually made excuses so as not to return home. Eventually she decided that she had to go home as she missed her parents and sister so much. She did not tell her family she was coming and simply walked into the house as a girl. Her family accepted her immediately and supported her completely.

Following breast augmentation surgery Caroline worked as a showgirl in Paris and as a topless dancer in Rome, so she could save money for her gender reassignment surgery. She saved up for her own surgery because the waiting-list to have it performed free on the National Health Service would have meant waiting years. After years of hormone therapy, and a legal name change, Caroline had her final surgery in December 1974 when she was 20.

Caroline then worked as a model under the name 'Tula'. She appeared in top magazines such as "Australian Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar", and worked extensively as a glamour model. She was a Page Three Girl (a topless glamour model which featured on page three) for the British tabloid "The Sun" (once appearing topless alongside her sister Pam) and later appeared in "Penthouse" and "Playboy". These days transgender models are nothing unusual and they are openly accepted as transgender. In the late-1970s this was not the case. If it became known that Caroline was transgender her career could have been over.

In 1978 Caroline had a regular part as as a 'beautiful assistant' in a British TV gameshow. A tabloid jounalist then contacted her, revealing he had discovered she was transgender and planned to write about it in his newspaper. Other jounalists researched her past and attempted to interview her family. Caroline quickly dropped out of the show. After this she kept a low profile, accepting only minor modelling assignments.

In 1981 Caroline was cast as an extra in the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only". Shortly after the film's release the tabloid newspaper "The News of the World" published a front-page headline which read "James Bond Girl Was a Boy." She was so upset by this that she contemplated suicide. As a result of this all her scenes were removed from the film.

However, she continued her modelling career by focussing, once again, on smaller assignments. Caroline then responded by releasing "I Am a Woman", which was her first autobiography, in 1982.

Caroline became engaged to Count Glauco Lasinio, an Italian advertising executive, who was the first man to date her knowing of her past. He encouraged her to petition for changes in the British law concerning transexuals. The engagement ended, but her legal efforts continued for seven years, eventually reaching the Europen Court of Human Rights.

After breaking up with Lasinlo, Caroline met Elias Fattal, a businessman who was unaware of her history until he proposed to her on Valentines Day, 1988. When she told him, rather than rejecting her, he stated he wanted to go ahead with the marriage. They were married in 1989, weeks after the European Court of Human Rights decided to legally recognise Caroline as a woman. They returned from their honeymoon to find that "The News of the World" had published a story on their wedding, which led Fattal to seek an annulment.

On 27th September 1990, the European Court of Human Rights overturned its earlier decision, following an appeal from the British government. Caroline returned to modelling which she had given up 4 years earlier.

In 1991, Caroline released "My Story", which was her second and final autobiography. In it she gave details of her transition, her relationship with Fattal and her unsuccesful battle with the European Court of Human Rights. She was featured in the September 1991 issue of "Playboy" in the pictorial "The Transition of Tula," as an acknowledged transgender woman.

In 1992 Caroline married Canadian David Finch.

Following her marriage Caroline continued to fight for her right to legally marry in the UK and to be legally recognised as a woman.

Caroline is now 68 years young, still beautiful, and has finally found the peace and happiness she richly deserves

......................................

I came across a copy of "My Story" in a second-hand bookshop when I was a teenager. At that time I was living and dressing full-time as a girl and living in a small country town in rural Hertfordshire. I didn't know anyone else that was transgender and had no-one I could really express my feelings and concerns to (apart from my family). I suffered some abuse and the odd beating from the boys I was at school with - and I felt a bit alone. I had lots of girl friends but despite all their encouragement and support i needed someone who understood what it actually felt like to be transgender.

Reading Caroline's book was an eye-opener! I related to so much that she said, especially about her early years. I found it incredible that at my age she was taking hormones and working as a showgirl! I couldn't see that being allowed for me - though I think I'd make a great showgirl! Times had certainly changed!

What shocked me most was the way she had to hide the fact that she was transgender or risk losing her career. That and the fact that the press went out of their way to out her and persecute her. I was disgusted by the way the press targeted her regardless of the consequences their actions may have had - including her potential suicide. No-one should EVER be outed without their permission.

At least Caroline's book showed me that things have improved for the better, however slightly and slowly. I'm so glad I wasn't transitioning back in the 1970's. I have nothing but respect for those that were.

Anyway, reading Caroline's book really inspired me. It also made me realise that I didn't really have much to complain about compared to what she went through. It really helped focus on what really mattered to me and made me wish I had half the courage she has.

I even wrote a letter to Caroline introducing myself and explaining who I was and how much reading her book had meant to me. I sent it to her publishers and didn't really expect a reply. However, I eventually received a lovely letter from Caroline in which she expressed her support and wished me the best for the future. She was really genuine and warm. She also enclosed a signed photo. I still have the book (now containing Caroline's letter) and the framed photo now stands on my mantlepiece.

Sorry this has been so long! Katie XXX

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Pt 3 - i am back. there are still more

The t4t Issue - Cameron Awkward-Rich and Hil Malatino

We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film

The Appendix: Transmasculine Joy in a Transphobic Culture

Man into Woman: The First Sex Change

Conundrum - Jan Morris

Canary: The story of a transsexual

Tranny Biker - Red Jordan Arobateau

Killer in Drag/Black Lace Drag

Death of a Transvestite/Let Me Die in Drag

Behold, I Am Woman

Street Of Dreams - Red Jordan Arobateau

I Am A Soul - Red Jordan Arobateau

The Woman I Was Not Born to Be

Hiding My Candy: The Autobiography of the Grand Empress of Savannah

I Am a Woman - Caroline Cossey

My Story - Caroline Cossey

Just Julia - Julia Grant

Thank you for the submissions, I added them to the list :)