An in-between life
(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 22. Yesterday in the Supreme Court in Auckland “Miss X" described in Mr .Justice McMullin’s written judgment as “Air X,” heard that her latest move to have herself declared a female had failed. Today the tall. miniskirted blonde described < what it is like to live between the worlds of men and women. Since Australian doctors 1 performed a sex change operation in 1969 she has: fought for recognition of hetnew status. Failure to get that recognition had meant “a million and one” practical difficulties. she said. One was what J for most, would be a simple | act — using a public toilet. “What toilet do I use, the I men's or the women’s.” she I asked. “If I use the women's ■ I could be arrested, and you i ;an imagine what men would I say if 1 walked into a public!
I toilet.” Miss X solves this problem by. making sure she does not ! 'get in the position where she has to choose ; ‘'l could walk into the registry office today and apply as a male for a licence >to marry.” she said. “But 1: can’t play my real role in life, and marry a man.” Miss X has lived in a de facto relationship with a man for seven years. If early attempts to have the sex change legally recognised had succeeded they would have been married bv now. But the strain of continual battles with authority had taken its toll' on their relationship, she said “It’s coming to an end now. and I don’t think I will feel secure in any future relationship until the legal question Us resolved.”
She wants to get a job and have more financial independence, but the Labour Department cannot find her a suitable occupation. By winning two appeals against Social Welfare Department decisions she has managed to stay on the emergency unemployment benefit. Under the terms of the last appeal, the benefit can now be stopped, and she and her legal adviser (Mr S. Lockhart) will have to go through the whole appeal process again. Miss X, who prefers; anonymity for fear of' “cranky” telephone calls rather than of being recognised as a transexual, has six sisters and two brothers. In most respects she was a normal boy, but, she says, she always felt she would end up marrying a man. “When I was old enough \ to know there would be physical difficulties prevent-!
iing such a marriage. I was [also old enough to see that iall rules were broken,” she said. “1 also knew that there must be a way for me to I achieve my ambition.” Miss X says she does not I want pity. Instead, she says, she wants the freedom to live the life of a normal woman. Miss X and Mr Lockhart are already preparing some questions for the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay) and the Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles). They will ask for advice on which group or individuals could best assist them to promote the necessary legislation to permit the sex notation on her birth certificate to be changed. Then, they hope. Miss X will be able to get an answer to the question she often; asks herself: “What am I?” (Judge’s decision, Page 7) i
An in-between life
Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33825, 23 April 1975, Page 2
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.