Yi Ling (Chinese: 伊玲, born 1928, Jiaxing, China), formerly known as Qian Jinfan (Chinese: 钱今凡), is the oldest known transgender person in China.[1][2][3] She started living as a woman at age 80, and had sex-reassignment surgery in 2010. Yi first came out publicly as a transgender woman in 2012.[1][2][4]
Yi works as a calligrapher and art critic, and was once a government official.[2] In 2009, she submitted a declaration letter to the Foshan Culture and Media Bureau, where she had worked before retiring; at that time she was starting to take hormones to enlarge her breasts, and to wear women's clothes.[1][3] The government did not lower her pension or refuse to allow her to attend conferences.[3] In 2010 she wrote another letter to inform the authorities that she was a woman.[1] Yi Ling has a son, and has been married to a woman, Liang, since the age of 54.[1][3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Phillips, Tom (2012-06-14). "Chinese government official becomes a woman aged 84". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
- ^ a b c "Qian Jinfan, China's Oldest Transgender Woman, 'Outs' Herself In Advocacy Bid". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
- ^ a b c d "Never too late to change: China's oldest transgender person｜Society｜Topics｜WantChinaTimes.com". Wantchinatimes.com. 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
- ^ Sudworth, John (2012-07-12). "BBC News - China's 'oldest transsexual': A life of silent denial". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-06.