November 17th, 2009
World renowned physician to speak at Texas State

Dr. Marci Bowers appears at Texas State on Tuesday.

STAFF REPORT

The world renowned physician, Dr. Marci Bowers, has two speaking engagements at Texas State on Tuesday. Presented by the Office of Disability Services, Allies of Texas State and the Counseling Center of Texas State, Dr. Bowers will give the presentation: “Transcending Gender: Aligning Body and Mind” at 2 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center. She will speak at 7 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center Teaching Center. Both events are free and open to the public.

Her presentations will center on the basics of transgender issues and the challenges unique to transgender medicine, the surgical options available, and the long term health management strategies and challenges for transgender persons. In an article for the FOX news website Bowers stated, “Sometimes what people get hung up on is that it’s all about the surgery. And the fact is it’s really all about their gender role and how society perceives them.”

Dr. Bowers, a 1986 graduate of the University of Minnesota medical school, is a well-known obstetrics and gynecology expert who is a noted innovator in the field of transgender surgery. She is the first transsexual woman to perform this surgery and her experiences as both a doctor and a patient have given her unparalleled expertise in the field.

Based in Trinidad, CO, Bowers studied under transgender surgery pioneer, the late Dr. Stanely Biber, taking over his practice after his retirement. The Colorado town has been the subject of some controversy from its reputation as a sex change surgery haven. Dr. Bowers has performed more than 550 male to female vaginoplasties and performs more than 220 gender reassignment surgeries per year.

Her appearances on “Oprah,” “The Tyra Banks Show,” and a small cameo in “CSI: Las Vegas” have made Dr. Bowers one of the most recognizable physicians in the country. She has been the subject of several documentaries, including a six-part BBC series.

For more information, contact Allies via email at allies@txstate.edu.