Anaesthetic Dream
Synopsis: point by point
- This is the true story of the life of, Estelle Asmodelle, a famous Australian transsexual. Whereas, many of the existing biographies around are of British or American transsexuals.
- It’s the story of a transsexual and a professional Egyptian Belly Dancer, who becomes a photographic model. Most books are about people, in spite of changing sex, live relatively unremarkable lives.
- The story details the long arduous journey for this a pre-operative transsexual and uncovers, in real honesty, the discrimination, abuse and manipulation which many transsexuals face every day, but it’s portrayed in personal detail.
- While travelling to Singapore, using a male passport, Estelle’s act is banned by the Singaporean police and she’s placed under house arrest, simply for being transsexual. It’s a rare account of official persecution of a foreign transsexual.
- Estelle finally becomes a member of the famous all male revue: Les Girls. Afterward, she then becomes a famous Kings Cross stripper, yet unbeknown to everyone she is still a pre-operative transsexual.
- Her story explores the physical & emotional pain of a sex-change operation, which has surgical complications, but it’s unlike other stories, for the complications are a result of discrimination by Australian medical professionals.
- This story also details the discrimination and indifference shown by Australian government officials and explores the attitudes of people within the Australian public service in a way that hasn’t been revealed to date.
- Estelle then becomes Australia’s first transsexual centrefold girl, by posing nude in a mainstream magazine, Playgirl for Men, and this creates a huge media storm. There haven’t been any transsexuals, who’ve recently posed nude.
- After discussion with doctors, Estelle publicly reveals her desire to have an Ectopic pregnancy by IVF. A new wave of media attention surrounds the controversial issue. Strangely, many doctors are in support of the procedure.
- Estelle’s personal campaign is instrumental in changing laws within Australia. In fact she is personally invited to go to the Department of Births, Deaths & Marriages, to receive the first amended birth certificate, with the name of the new gender. This event makes her the first legal transsexual in Australia.
- Additionally, Estelle unofficially becomes the first person to receive a new passport with female in the gender designation, making it safe to now travel overseas. This is also a first and helps the transsexual cause enormously.
- Estelle’s image is known throughout Australia and she is viewed as a key transsexual spokesperson. Even today, many remember her exploits.
- Eventually Estelle becomes the first foreign transsexual to be issued a work permit in Singapore, the same country which had banned her act some years before. It’s a story of success over government bureaucracy and indifference.