LGBT People Of History Part Thirty Laurence Michael Dillon
Laurence Michael Dillon
Laurence Michael Dillon was born Laura Maud Dillon on May 1st 1915 into an aristocratic family. Laurence’s brother was Sir Robert Dillon the Eighth Baronet of Lismullen in Ireland. Sadly Laurence’s mother died ten days after his birth. Laura (Laurence) was raised with her brother by their two aunts in Folkestone, Kent in England.
Laurence had always been more comfortable wearing men’s clothing and in 1939 sought treatment from Doctor George Foss who provided her with testosterone pills, though insisting that Laurence received psychiatric help first. Foss was not to be trusted and gossiped about Laurence’s desire to become a man causing everyone in town to know what Laurence was doing.
Laurence fled to Bristol where he found work in a garage. Thankfully the testosterone pills had worked so well that Laurence could easily pass for a man. He worked really hard and was promoted to ‘tow truck driver’ and then promoted further to a ‘Fire Watcher’ during the Second World War.
Laurence had long suffered with hypoglycaemia. Whilst in hospital after a recent attack, Laurence met a plastic surgeon who performed a double mastectomy and then provided him with a doctor’s note that helped him to change his birth certificate from Laura Maud Dillon to Laurence Michael Dillon.
The surgeon also put Laurence in touch with another plastic surgeon known as Harold Gilles who performed a minimum of at least thirteen surgeries on Laurence between the years of 1946 and 1949, making Laurence was the first female to male transsexual to undergo phalloplasty.
In 1949 Laurence published a book “Self: A Study in Endocrinology and Ethics” now known as Transsexuality.
In 1958 the book, Debrett's Peerage, a genealogical guide, listed Laurence as heir to his brother's baronetcy, though its competitor book, Burke’s Peerage mentioned only a sister, Laura Maude. After this discrepancy was noticed, Laurence had to tell the press he was a male born with a severe form of hypospadias and had undergone a series of operations to correct the condition.
Laurence fled to India living amongst the Buddhist community in Sarnath. He converted to Buddhism soon after, though sadly in 1962 Laurence died. He was only 47yrs old.
Callum & Ian.
With Thanks to Wikipedia.
Here Are Links To Our Many Other LGBT People Of History Series
- LGBT People Of History Collection
Here are the links to each of the LGBT People Of History hubs that Ian and I have wrote. As mentioned above, each time a new one is published you will find it on here. - LGBT People of History 21 - Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (1905 – 1990) was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Sweden. She became a star of the silver screen, always beautifully lit and mysterious. She is consistently voted into the top five of movie actresses. - LGBT People Of History Part Twenty Two Gladys Bentley
Born on August 12th 1907 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gladys Bentley was the daughter of George L. Bentley and his wife, Mary Mote. At 16 Gladys left Philadelphia for New York where she became a part of the Harlem Renaissance, where she began perfo - LGBT People of History 23 - Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith (1897 – 1937) was probably the most influential female blues singer of her generation. Her influence stretched into the second half of the twentieth century inspiring groups such as the Rolling Stones. She was nicknamed the ‘Empress of t - LGBT People Of History Part Twenty Four Ma Rainey
Gertrude Pridgett was born on April 26th 1886 in Columbus, Georgia USA into a large family. Gertrude began performing between the ages of 12 and 14 under the name of Madame Gertrude Pridgett. She would later become Ma Rainey. Her date of birth is.. - LGBT People of History 25 - Lili Elbe
Lili Elbe (1882 - 1931) was one of the first people to undergo male to female sex reassignment surgery. She was born as a male probably in 1882 in Denmark and was given the name Einar Mogens Wegener.Einar met Gerda Gottlieb and they were married in 1 - LGBT People Of History Part Twenty Six Christine Jorgensen
Born May 30th 1926 as George William Jorgensen Junior to George William Jorgensen Senior and Florence Hansen in the Bronx, New York. Christine graduated from the Christopher Columbus High School in 1945 and was later drafted in to the American Army. - LGBT People of History 27 - Alan L Hart
Alan Lucille Hart (1890 – 1962) was born in Kansas and was assigned female at birth. He spent an idyllic childhood dressing and behaving as a boy. At school he was obliged to dress and behave as a girl. He hated this. During his later school years he - LGBT People Of History Part Twenty Eight Coccinelle
Born Jacques Charles Dufresnoy in Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in Paris on the 23rd of August 1931. Coccinelle chose her name upon entering a career in show business. The translation of Coccinelle from French to English means Lady Bird. She made her d - LGBT People from History 29 - Marie-Pierre Pruvot (Bambi)
Jean-Pierre Pruvot was born in 1935 in Algeria as a boy. As a child she was quite happy except that she always felt under pressure to conform to gender stereotypes. She had a very strong will to be a girl. At school she spent much of her life reading
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