Virginia Prince facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Virginia Prince
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Arnold Lowman
November 23, 1912 |
| Died | May 2, 2009 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pomona College (BA) University of California, San Francisco (PhD) |
| Known for | Transgender activist, publisher of Transvestia, founder of Society for the Second Self |
Virginia Charles Prince (November 23, 1912 – May 2, 2009), born Arnold Lowman, was an American transgender activist. She published Transvestia magazine, and started the Foundation for Personality Expression (FPE) and later the Society for the Second Self.
Early life
Prince was born on November 23, 1912, in Los Angeles, California to a Protestant family. She was assigned male at birth and given the name Arnold. The daughter of a surgeon father and a mother who worked in real estate investment, Prince's early life was one of privilege, with a family that was in her words "…socially prominent…"
Education and transition period
Prince enrolled at Pomona College in Claremont, California, in 1931. She joined a fraternity and graduated in 1935 with a degree in chemistry.
Prince gained her PhD in pharmacology in 1939 from the University of California, San Francisco. This was also around the time that she met the woman whom she would marry and have a son with. The two were married in 1941, yet their marriage was an unhappy one. After seven years, the two divorced.
After her marriage ended, Prince returned to the University of California, San Francisco and began working as a research assistant and lecturer in pharmacology. During this time, Prince took advantage of the university's small collection of medical literature on transvestism. This was also around the time that Prince began using the name Charles Prince, a name used in order to hide her civil identity. The name stems from her father's first name, Charles, and her address on Prince Street.
Transvestia magazine
In 1960, the first issue of Prince's magazine "Transvestia" was published. Prince acquired the means to fund the publication after assembling a list of 25 acquaintances, each of whom were willing to donate four dollars to her start-up. Working with one hundred dollars, Prince then launched her first issue, published by her own Chevalier Publications, and sold it by subscription and through bookstores.
"Transvestia" was published bi-monthly by Prince between the years of 1960 and 1980, with a total of 100 issues being created. The magazine offered, among other things, dozens of published life stories and letters contributed by its readers. Over the years, the publication also gained several international subscribers, notably from England, Scandinavia and Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Virginia Prince para niños
