TODAY'S MEDICAL ROUNDUP

Transvestite's Problem

By Dr. Walter C. Alvarez

the whole way, and like Chris-

Clime And Emeritus Professor of Medicine. into a woman. It was a terrible Emeritus Consultant in Medicine. Mayo tine Jorgensen, try to be made

Mayo Foundation.

After recently publishing a decision to make, and it took all · column on transvestites, or men the courage Cowell had. Obwho like to dress as women, I viously, after surgical work was received a number of interestdone there would be no chance ing letters from sufferers with of turning back. this trouble who were very grateful for my understanding of their problem. Several of these unfortunate persons wrote that that they are extremely unhappy because, although in their psychic make-up they are decidedly feminine, they find themselves en-

DR. WALTER C. ALVAREZ

Too Much Publicity Today, he who was Robert Cowell is legally Roberta Cowell, and the change has been so great that the photographs she sent me now show an attractive woman. She is glad that she made the change, but the publicity involved has so disturbed her that she plans soon to drop out of sight.

I doubt if any sensible person not controlled and driven by preconceptions and dislikes and without feeling great respect for prissy ideas can read this book the courage of Roberta Cowell, Since writing this column, I and great sympathy for her durhave read a most remarkable ing the terrible unhappy transi-

cased in a male body which they dislike and do not want.

velop abnormally in a sexual way.

Run on Certain Families

That these troubles often run in certain families has long been obvious. For instance, one of Roberta Cowell's aunts was born without a vagina. Recently I saw a man whose sex was so on the borderline that he never dared marry. None of his five uncles and three of his brothers and sisters cared to marry.

Naturally, after writing the, column on transvestites I received letters from persons who expressed the usual contempt and hatred and dislike for anyone who is defferent from the average run of men and women. These correspondents tried to justify our still stupid and cruel and unjust laws in regard to these people, by accusing the transvestites of corrupting boys and ruining them for life.

I greatly doubt if transvestites ever bother boys, and I doubt if homosexuals often bother normal boys. Not being an expert book, "Roberta Cowell's Story, tion, stage through which she how a scientist has found that in sex medicine, I asked an exan Autobiography" (British had to go. Whenever I hear by feeding hormones he can pert, Dr. Harry Benjamin, what Book Center, N. Y. City). Everysomeone sneering at a person change the sex of baby opospositively that transvestites are he thought about this. He said one who would like to underwhose sex was mixed up at birth sums as they grow in their stand the problems of a feminine or later, I always say: "Stop! mother's marsupial pouch. Exnot aggressive, and he doubts if person locked up in a male body Remember that but for the perts on sex and genetics are they would ever try seduction. ought to read this frank, honest, grace of God you might have now coming to understand betDr. Alvarez regrets he hasn't very courageous and well-writbeen terribly cheated by nature ter the several mechanisms the time to read or answer roten book. just as that person was." which, in the mother's womb, quests for information. The other day I was reading cause so many persons to de(Released by The Register and Tribune

Recognized the Signs Some 30 years ago, in England, a child was born who was apparently a boy, and was called Robert Cowell. The father was a prominent surgeon. From boyhood onward, the lad showed certain signs of feminism, such as a softness of the body outlines, wide hips, knock-knees, good looks, large breasts, and small feet.

He realized that there was a strong element of feminism in him, but he fought this down. He made great efforts to show his masculinity, as by becoming a racing automobile driver; a designer of racing automobiles, and later, a fighting air pilot.

Always, however, he knew that something was wrong with him. Homosexual men were always making approaches to him, ..but he always angrily repulsed them. He married and had two children, but the marriage was unhappy and soon was dissolved.

Gradually Cowell came to feel more and more depressed and unhappy; he kept feeling more and more feminine, and often when in a restaurant, he could sense that people were looking at him and debating whether he was a man or woman. Naturally, under all this conflict, he became badly depressed. A psychoanalysis brought out more clearly the fact that he was mainly feminine in his mental make-up.

Eventually, he decided to go

Syndicate. 1955)