Jenny-Anne played a pivotal role in projects such as Welsh Pride, which documented centuries of LGBT history in Wales, and the April Ashley Project with Homotopia and Liverpool Museum, which celebrated one of the UK’s earliest trans pioneers while showcasing contemporary trans stories. She has also contributed to trans history exhibitions and awareness training in major institutions like the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Despite knowing she was different from early childhood, Jenny-Anne only transitioned at 62, after decades of personal struggle and professional risk. Her decision cost her her job and parts of her family life but brought her the joy of authenticity and the strength to help others find their truth. Today, she encourages older trans individuals never to give up on themselves and offers safe spaces for people to explore full-time living in their true gender before transitioning. Unconcerned with the concept of "passing," Jenny-Anne stands proudly as a trans woman, advocating for respect, dignity, and visibility. Her gentle but firm approach to education and public awareness continues to shape a more inclusive future for gender-diverse people across the UK.
Monika: Hello Jenny-Anne! It’s such an honor to speak with a fellow trans activist and sister. I’ve been looking forward to our conversation!
Jenny-Anne: Hello Monika, thank you so much for inviting me to do this interview. I feel genuinely humbled to be included in your series highlighting outstanding trans people.
Monika: What are you currently doing in your daily life? Are you still involved in activism, or have you discovered any new passions?
Jenny-Anne: Well, I've been retired for over five years now, which has given me the freedom to devote my time to helping improve life for our Trans* community. I'm also an active member of the LGBT church I attend in Manchester, where I lobby for LGBT Christian rights and greater acceptance. I suppose it's about making every aspect of life trans-friendly, because being trans is pervasive; it touches every part and corner of your life.
Monika: You've been involved in several incredible projects, including Welsh Pride, "Gender Fluidity," and the April Ashley project with Homotopia and the Liverpool Museum. Can you tell us more about these initiatives and what they’ve meant to you?
Jenny-Anne: I was incredibly eager to join the steering group of Welsh Pride because it aimed to uncover the history of LGBT people in Wales over the last 300-400 years. When we began, none of the museums, libraries, or information centers had any documented history on LGBT people in Wales. By the time we finished, we had developed an LGBT timeline for Wales, collected numerous artifacts, created a toolkit for documenting Welsh LGBT history, and launched a website featuring a wealth of information, personal stories, and recollections. It was a truly rewarding experience.
The April Ashley project with Homotopia in Liverpool aims to create an exhibition showcasing the life of April Ashley, who grew up in Liverpool. The display will run for a year at the Liverpool Waterfront Museum, with an estimated 500,000 visitors expected, so we want to ensure it's done right. Alongside April's life story, we will feature 20 audio stories from Trans individuals, illustrating how life has improved for Trans people during April’s lifetime. I provided training to the team on Trans history and helped them connect with individuals to record the audio life stories.
The April Ashley project with Homotopia in Liverpool aims to create an exhibition showcasing the life of April Ashley, who grew up in Liverpool. The display will run for a year at the Liverpool Waterfront Museum, with an estimated 500,000 visitors expected, so we want to ensure it's done right. Alongside April's life story, we will feature 20 audio stories from Trans individuals, illustrating how life has improved for Trans people during April’s lifetime. I provided training to the team on Trans history and helped them connect with individuals to record the audio life stories.
Additionally, we developed artwork for the display through our group, TransForum. I facilitated the project by hosting a workshop at Sparkle 2013 and collaborating with the Transgenderation Team (Fox & Lewis from MTS) and Trans photographer Sara Davidmann. This project builds on our previous work with the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in the previous year, where we focused on the recent LGBT history of Manchester and its social impact on the LGBT community. We also trained many of the museum staff in LGBT awareness and equality.
Monika: Can you tell us about where you grew up and how that shaped your early experiences?
Jenny-Anne: I was born in what is now South West London in the mid-1940s. I spent my childhood in Surrey and Kent, in South East England, during the 1950s and early 1960s. Those years had a significant impact on me, as it was a time of great social change, and growing up in that environment definitely influenced my perspectives later in life.
Monika: Can you share some memories of your childhood and when you first realized that your identity didn’t align with being a boy or man?
Jenny-Anne: Like so many transgender people, I realized from around 3-4 years old that I was somehow different. At that age, I didn’t have the words to describe gender diversity, nor did I fully understand it, but I knew deep down that I wanted to be a girl. Borrowing my mother’s and later my sister’s clothes made me feel so much more confident and right in myself. Trying to fit into the role my parents expected of me, however, felt deeply uncomfortable. I was convinced that one day my body would change, and I would finally be able to live as the woman I knew I was.
I remember wearing my mother’s clothes to school, claiming I was practicing for when I would become a young woman. When I was about six, my parents sent me to see the school’s psychiatrist due to what they called “gender inappropriate” behavior, what we would now understand as a sign of gender diversity. They simply labeled me as “a very naughty child.” The psychiatrist, however, just viewed it as a phase or a child exploring different roles in life.
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| Miss Golden Sparkle on the day she had tea at the Ritz in London as part of her prize Sept 2005. |
It was a pretty liberated environment for the time (around 1952), but what I learned from an early age was that I had to hide my gender non-conformity from my parents and society, as it was clearly considered wrong. As I grew older, I was also taught that it was “perverted” behavior.
This led to my early experiences as Jenny-Anne being kept in absolute secrecy. It also set my parents on a path of discouragement and strong disapproval of any gender diversity in me for the rest of their lives. Later, in 1980, they completely rejected the advice of the first gender specialist (John Randall) I saw at Charing Cross. He told me I was probably transsexual and would eventually transition, even offering me a hormone prescription during our first appointment.
My childhood wasn’t unhappy, far from it. I had a lot of time spent secretly learning about being female rather than male, but that secrecy persisted into adulthood. In fact, I’d say I had a very happy childhood, received a good education, and even had the opportunity to go to university in the mid-1960s. I also learned to keep myself busy with activities to stop my mind from worrying about my gender identity, which I continued into adulthood in a futile attempt to suppress my gender dysphoria.
Monika: For many transgender women, school, college, or university can be some of the most challenging years due to discrimination and bullying. Was your experience similar?
Jenny-Anne: I did face discrimination at school, but I developed strategies to cope. For a while, I played the class clown to divert attention, and later, I organized various groups outside of school and participated in cross-country running. This allowed me to return to school on my own, avoiding the showers where I felt uncomfortable in what I thought was the “wrong” body. Since I was tall, I also stood up to the class bully, and after that, I wasn’t troubled by him again, which seemed to send a message to others that they shouldn’t challenge me. At university, I was very focused on my course and spent a lot of time in the library and lab, so I wasn’t really bothered by others. I had a girlfriend (who later became my wife) and a car, which helped me blend in as fairly ordinary. I had a small circle of friends that stayed with me until I graduated in 1969.
Monika: At what age did you transition? Was the process difficult for you? Did you have support from family and friends during that time? And did transitioning have an impact on your career?
Jenny-Anne: Although I visited a psychiatrist at age 6 and again at 26, I didn’t transition until I was 62. This was largely due to pressures from my family, religion, and employment. At that point, I had reached a stage where there was no reason not to transition. I had a lot of support from my friends and, of course, from my partner. Some members of my family were supportive, but my children and ex-wife are still upset with me and won’t even talk to me.
By then, I had spent so much of my life living as Jenny-Anne, outside of work and family obligations, and had been preparing for the transition for almost 40 years. So, when the moment came, it felt like a simple decision, it was time to stop living as someone else. I had thought about it for over 50 years and was absolutely sure of what I was doing. I couldn’t be happier being myself, so it truly was the right decision for me.
Unfortunately, as soon as I transitioned at work, I was let go. I had been made redundant five times already due to being trans, and I was simply too tired of fighting it. With Elen’s support, I decided to retire and focus on community work instead. All in all, transitioning cost me around £250,000, as I lost my family, my home, and my job, but I don’t regret it. Becoming my true self was worth every sacrifice.
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| Having fun at a group belly-dancing session with a dress she got in Egypt for Belly-Dancing 2007. |
Monika: We're living in an era where modern cosmetic surgery has made it possible for people to transition even in their late 50s or 60s, and you are a great example of this. What advice would you give to transgender women considering transitioning at such a stage in life?
Jenny-Anne: It’s never too late to be yourself. If transitioning is something you truly want, it’s important to pursue it, no matter your age. But before you take the leap, it’s crucial to explore living full-time as your true gender so you can be sure it’s something you’ll enjoy and can sustain.
In our community house, we offer a space where people can experience full-time living away from the pressures of family and friends. This allows them to test if transitioning feels right and if it’s the right time before sharing their decision with others. Once you tell people, it’s hard to take it back, especially if you later decide not to go through with the transition or even want to de-transition. It’s important to make the decision thoughtfully and with confidence.
Monika: Transgender women often face the challenge of whether or not they "pass" as women. How can we overcome the fear of not being seen as women, and instead focus on embracing who we truly are?
Jenny-Anne: For me, it's not about passing or not passing. I accept that I’m not a natal woman, and I’m proud to be a trans woman, so I don’t focus on passing. It’s more about being accepted and respected for who I am, not what I am. Of course, I make an effort to present as female as best as I can, and I smile a lot.
By not stressing over passing or being "discovered," I approach the world with confidence, and as a result, I often do pass, or at least I’m accepted without question or discrimination. There are still occasional instances of disrespect, but the key is not letting them see that it affects you (even if it does). Just carry on as if they’ve made an error in judgment.
Monika: There have been some troubling incidents, such as the one in the UK when Suzanne Moore, a British columnist, wrote in an article that biological women are angry with themselves for “not being happier, not being loved properly, and not having the ideal body shape – that of a Brazilian transsexual.” How do you respond to this kind of harmful commentary?
Jenny-Anne: I believe this situation called for a more measured and thoughtful response. Ultimately, it's about education and helping others understand that we are simply another natural variation of humanity. Of course, there will always be some individuals who won’t change their views, but it's crucial to raise awareness about transgender issues. Most sensible people will listen and make a real effort to understand. We are actively lobbying for gender variance to be taught in schools so that, in a generation or so, it will be a less stigmatized and more accepted issue. Eventually, it will be as ordinary as being gay or part of an ethnic minority.
Monika: When you were transitioning, did you have any transgender role models to guide you? What was your understanding of transgender issues at that time?
Jenny-Anne: Throughout my life, I've had people I considered role models. In the '60s and '70s, it was April Ashley, and then in the '90s, it was members of the Christian Transsexual group I belonged to. By the time I was finally able to transition, I had been “out” for over 30 years, and Jenny-Anne had been a part of my social life for over ten years. Much of my documentation and living space had already been updated to reflect my true gender, so the actual transition and legal name change were relatively easy and almost anticlimactic. There was one Monday morning when I simply woke up, looked at Elen, and said, “From today, I’m never going back to presenting as the other gender.” She just said, “OK,” and that was that, apart from all the paperwork and formalities, of course.
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| Elen and Jenny-Anne "So Happy together" on their wedding day in Oct 2011. |
Monika: What was the most difficult aspect of coming out for you? Were there particular challenges with family, work, or society at large?
Jenny-Anne: My first coming out was in 1970, and telling my family was by far the hardest part. Their lack of understanding and support made it emotionally challenging. Later, when I was finally able to go full-time in 2007, negotiating my transition at work proved to be another major hurdle. Both situations required immense emotional strength, but they were necessary steps on the path to living authentically.
Monika: What brings you the most joy in living your life as a woman? Are there particular experiences or aspects that feel especially meaningful to you?
Jenny-Anne: Just the freedom to be truly myself and express who I am as a woman brings me immense joy. Like many women, I love shopping, enjoy refining my feminine image, and appreciate the freedom to express my style in so many different ways. I also deeply cherish being Elen’s wife, getting married as a woman was an absolutely thrilling and affirming experience for me.
END OF PART 1
All the photos: courtesy of Jenny-Anne Bishop.
© 2021 - Monika Kowalska and Jenny-Anne Bishop
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