Renée Richards
- Biography
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Renée Richards is an American ophthalmologist, tennis player, and author. She is best known for her legal battle to compete in professional tennis as a transgender woman. Born Richard Raskind in 1934, she was a successful ophthalmologist and amateur tennis player before transitioning in 1975.
Early Life
Richard Raskind was born in 1934 in New York City. He was the son of a Jewish family and was raised in the Bronx. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and then went on to Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics. After college, he attended medical school at the University of Rochester and completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital.
Transition
In 1975, at the age of 41, Raskind began the process of transitioning to female. She changed her name to Renée Richards and underwent gender reassignment surgery. She was one of the first people to transition in the United States and faced a great deal of discrimination and prejudice.
Tennis Career
In 1976, Richards attempted to compete in the U.S. Open as a woman. However, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) refused to allow her to compete, citing a rule that stated that players must compete as the gender listed on their birth certificate. Richards sued the USTA and, in 1977, the New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor. She was allowed to compete in the U.S. Open as a woman and went on to have a successful professional tennis career.
Later Life
In the 1980s, Richards retired from professional tennis and returned to her medical practice. She also wrote a book about her experience, Second Serve: The Renée Richards Story, which was published in 1983. In the years since, she has become an advocate for transgender rights and has spoken out about the discrimination and prejudice that transgender people face.
Conclusion
Renée Richards is an American ophthalmologist, tennis player, and author who is best known for her legal battle to compete in professional tennis as a transgender woman. She was one of the first people to transition in the United States and faced a great deal of discrimination and prejudice. Despite this, she was able to have a successful professional tennis career and has since become an advocate for transgender rights.
Date modified: Apr 6, 2023We seek for an accuracy and correctness in our content. In case you spot any mistake, please contact us
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