{"id":387419,"date":"2021-12-29T20:30:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T17:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/april-ashley-model-and-transgender-trailblazer-dead-at-86\/"},"modified":"2021-12-29T20:30:18","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T17:30:18","slug":"april-ashley-model-and-transgender-trailblazer-dead-at-86","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/april-ashley-model-and-transgender-trailblazer-dead-at-86\/","title":{"rendered":"#April Ashley, model and transgender trailblazer, dead at 86"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#April Ashley, model and transgender trailblazer, dead at 86<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Trailblazing transgender model April Ashley has died at the age of 86.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley \u2014 born George Jamieson \u2014 underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1960, before embarking on an international modeling career that landed her on the pages of Vogue.<\/p>\n<p>The British beauty was photographed by both Robert Bailey and Terence Donovan, and reportedly romanced a string of A-list heartthrobs, including Michael Hutchence and Omar Sharif.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Elvis Presley, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali were all said to have been smitten with the model.<\/p>\n<p>But Ashley \u2014 who was only the second British person to undergo male-to-female gender reassignment surgery \u2014 was often subjected to public ridicule at a time where LGBTQ+ people were largely excluded from the spotlight. <\/p>\n<p>In her later years, however, Ashley became widely recognized for her role in championing transgender causes. At the age of 80, she advised the actor Eddie Redmayne on how to play a trans woman for his 2015 film \u201cThe Danish Girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The model passed away at home in London on Monday. The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> was first reported by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/news\/liverpool-news\/liverpool-model-april-ashley-mbe-22590483\">the Liverpool Echo<\/a>, and a cause of death has not yet been disclosed. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768\" alt=\"Ashley is pictured after her gender reassignment surgery. She was became a successful model in London's swinging 60s, partying with world-famous actors and artists and appearing in the pages of Vogue.\" class=\"wp-image-20647781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1152 1152w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-07.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley is pictured after her gender reassignment surgery. She became a successful model in London\u2019s swinging 60s, partying with world-famous actors and artists and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>earing in the pages of Vogue.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ashley was born George Jamieson in 1935 to a working-class couple who had five other children. As a young boy, Ashley said she felt like a stranger in her own body. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never grew up as I was supposed to,\u201d she recalled in \u201cThe First Lady\u201d \u2014  a memoir about her childhood. \u201cI was emaciated and very shy. I felt like a total freak. There were no whiskers, my voice didn\u2019t break and I sprouted breasts. I hated myself and there was no one I could look to.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"773\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=773\" alt=\"Ashley is pictured as George, several years before undergoing the groundbreaking gender reassignment surgery.\" class=\"wp-image-20647792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1546 1546w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1159 1159w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=773 773w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=386 386w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-Obit-new-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley is pictured as George, several years before undergoing the groundbreaking gender reassignment surgery.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">No credit please<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As George, Ashley joined the Merchant Navy, before being discharged following a suicide attempt. Ashley was placed in a mental institution after trying to commit suicide for a second time at the age of 17. There, Ashley was treated with electroconvulsive therapy and injected with male hormones.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley later fled to Paris and worked in a nightclub, saving up \u00a31,500 ($2,000 USD) to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Morocco. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768\" alt=\"Ashley is pictured in 1962 \u2014 the year after she was &quot;outed&quot; as a trans woman by the British press. Despite the prejudices she faced, her modeling career continued to thrive.\" class=\"wp-image-20647876\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1152 1152w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768 768w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=384 384w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-06.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley is pictured in 1962 \u2014 the year after she was \u201couted\u201d as a trans woman by the British press. Despite the prejudices she faced, her modeling career continued to thrive.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After undergoing the groundbreaking procedure in 1960, George officially became named April Ashley and returned to the UK, where she embarked on a successful modeling career. <\/p>\n<p>In 1961, the British tabloid Sunday People outed Ashley as a trans woman, causing a significant stir at the time. However, her undeniable beauty meant her modeling career survived in spite of the biases she encountered. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1005\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Ashley is seen in 1982. She reportedly had a romance with Michael Hutchence around the same time.\" class=\"wp-image-20648904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley is seen in 1982. She reportedly had a romance with Michael Hutchence around the same time.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Popperfoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In London\u2019s swinging \u201960s, she partied with artists including Dali and Picasso and was a fixture on the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> scene. <\/p>\n<p>Ashley married twice. Her first union was with British aristocrat Arthur Corbett, who famously had the marriage annulled on the grounds that Ashley was \u201ca man.\u201d She tied the knot for a second time to Jeffrey West in the 1980s. <\/p>\n<p>However, it was her reported romances with high-profile heartthrobs that garnered the most attention. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"692\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Ashley is pictured with her OBE in December 2012. \" class=\"wp-image-20648936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley is pictured with her OBE in December 2012. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Egyptian actor Omar Sharif and British star Peter O\u2019Toole were both said to have bedded the beauty. Ashley also claimed to have had a brief romance with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence in the early 1980s. <\/p>\n<p>The model also said Elvis Presley was captivated by her when they met in Paris prior to her gender reassignment surgery. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"829\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=829\" alt=\"Ashley (pictured in 2018) \" class=\"wp-image-20649251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1658 1658w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1244 1243w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=829 829w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=415 414w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-02.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 829px) 100vw, 829px\"\/><figcaption>Ashley (pictured in 2018) became revered as a transgender trailblazer. \u201cI never asked to be born like this,\u201d the model said in 2012, \u201cbut I think I have lived my life with enormous dignity.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the time, Ashley was wearing women\u2019s clothing and the American rock icon had no idea she still had a male appendage. The pair never slept together, but Elvis always bought her a bottle of champagne whenever they met up in the years afterward. <\/p>\n<p>In 2012, Ashley was awarded an OBE (the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her work raising awareness about transgender causes. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never asked to be born like this,\u201d she stated after receiving the honor. \u201cI would like to have been born normal like everyone else. I wanted to live in the real world and do what everyone else does, but I think I have lived my life with enormous dignity.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/12\/29\/april-ashley-model-and-transgender-trailblazer-dead-at-86\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#April Ashley, model and transgender trailblazer, dead at 86&#8221; Trailblazing transgender model April Ashley has died at the age of 86. Ashley \u2014 born George Jamieson \u2014 underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1960, before embarking on an international modeling career that landed her on the pages of Vogue. The British beauty was photographed by both&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":387420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/April-Ashley-obit-hp.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[122785,23261,62543,5200],"class_list":["post-387419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-29-21","tag-lgbtq","tag-models","tag-obituaries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}