A Change of Sex
TV Show · Biography · Documentary

The late transgender activist Julia Grant is the subject of this landmark BBC series. It was the first mainstream television documentary in the UK to tell the story of a person transitioning from male to female. It provides insight into what life was like for trans people in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s: from seeking support from gender identity clinics and the violence faced by trans people, to the legal and medical difficulties in changing gender and the attitudes of society at the time.

1980 · 55m
Director David Pearson

Season 1

  • George - The Big Decision
    EPISODE 1
    George - The Big Decision
    Following Julia Grant before her transition as a 24-year-old working in catering.
    55 min
  • Julia: The First Year
    EPISODE 2
    Julia: The First Year
    Julia's first year living as a woman before the psychiatrist in charge of her case makes a decision on whether to allow sex change surgery.
    47 min
  • Julia: My Body, My Choice
    EPISODE 3
    Julia: My Body, My Choice
    In 1980, Julia Grant's attempt to obtain permission for gender reassignment surgery stalls after a year of seeing the NHS psychiatrist who can sanction the operation. She determines to seek help elsewhere.
    47 min
  • The Untold Story
    EPISODE 4
    The Untold Story
    It is now 1994, and the years since Julia Grant had her sex-change operation have been full of problems.
    48 min
  • Julia Gets Her Man
    EPISODE 5
    Julia Gets Her Man
    It is now 1998, and the problems of the years following Julia Grant's sex-change operation seem finally in the past.
    50 min

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Cast & Crew

  • D‌P
    David Pearson
    Director
  • R‌M
    Roger Mills
    Producer

About

A Change of Sex

Biography

The late transgender activist Julia Grant is the subject of this landmark BBC series. It was the first mainstream television documentary in the UK to tell the story of a person transitioning from male to female. It provides insight into what life was like for trans people in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s: from seeking support from gender identity clinics and the violence faced by trans people, to the legal and medical difficulties in changing gender and the attitudes of society at the time.

Information

Studio
bbc_two
Released
1980

Languages

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions refer to subtitles in available languages with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)