Professor Stephen Whittle OBE, Ph.D is a Manchester Metropolitan University Professor, and trans activist for the Press for Change organization.
Dr Whittle was born in the Altricham Cottage Hospital in Altricham, Cheshire on the 29th of May 1955, and spend his childhood living as a female. He was the middle child of 5, and lived in Wythenshaw, Manchester.
His pre school life was a hard one developing Rickets for most of the first 5 years, although he was considered well enough for school and started school at the age of five. In 1963 the Whittles moved to Withington Village, and he attended Old Moat Junior School.
His Mother Barbara Elizabeth Whittle became concerned by how diffeent he was from his sisters, and in 1966 enrolled him into the examination for Withington Girls School, He was one of the highest 11 plus scorers in Manchester that year, and won a scholarship to the Public School. It was at school he started reading about transgenders having surgerys.
in 1974 Whittle came out as a trans man, after returning from a women's liberation conference. He was then a member of the Manchester Lesbian Collective. He has been active as a transgender axctivist ever since, and in 1975 co-founded the Manchester TV/TS group.
During the 70s and 80s he worked for the Gender Trust, and the Beaumont Society, and then in 1989 he founded the FTM network of which he co-ordinated until 2007. In 1992 he co-founded Press For Change with Mark Rees, Myka Scott (an actress) and Krystyana Sheffield. In 1994 Press for Change was praised as "one of the most important lobby groups" by Lord Carlile, at the reading of the Gender Reassignment Bill which was rejected. He married Sarah Rutherford in 2005, following the passing of the Gender Recognition Act, and they have four children (via artifical insemination).
He received an OBE in 2005, for services to gender issues and Human Rights award from Liberty in 2002. He was also awarded Virginia Prince Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Federation for Gender Education.
He still works tirelessly for Press for Change, and still campaigns for transgender rights. He is a truly great man.
No comments:
Post a Comment