Sheila C. Kirk (April 5, 1930 – July 2019) is an American gynecologist and an important figure in the history of trans health services. Kirk authored several books on medical transition and served on many nonprofit boards.
Kirk’s innovative Transgender Surgical and Medical Center (TSMC) was in operation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania beginning in 1998 through 1999.
Background
Kirk was board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and was a member of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (now WPATH). Kirk earned a medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1957 and was licensed in Pennsylvania in 1963. Kirk’s internship and main residency were at the University Hospitals in Buffalo, New York. Kirk completed her training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then set up a private practice there.
In 1992 Kirk retired from active practice and as Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburgh to work with the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) as a medical consultant to the trans and gender diverse community. Kirk was the first trans surgeon elected to the board of HBIGDA. Kirk also served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Transgender Health (then International Journal of Transgenderism) and was a member of TransPitt and the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA).
Kirk’s medical information books were important pre-internet resources. Following decades of service to the community, Kirk retired from activism and moved to South Carolina.
References
WPATH (May 26th 2020). WPATH Remembers Sheila Kirk, MD, 1930-2019. https://listloop.com/wpath/mail.cgi/archive/adhoc/20200526073422/
Books and articles
- Hormonal Therapy for the Male-to-Female Transgendered Individual (1994)
- Medical, Legal, and Workplace Issues for the Transsexual (1995) [with Martine Rothblatt]
- Feminizing Hormonal Therapy for the Transgendered (1996)
- Transgender and HIV: Risks, Prevention, and Care, with Walter O. Bockting (2001)
- “The Whole Person: A Paradigm for Integrating the Mental and Physical Health of Trans Clients,” with Claudette Kulkarni, in The Handbook of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health: A Practitioner’s Guide to Service Michael Shankle (2013)
Resources
Digital Transgender Archive (digitaltransgenderarchive.net)
- Sheila Kirk
- https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/catalog?f%5Bdta_other_subject_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Sheila+Kirk&sort=dta_sortable_date_dtsi+asc%2C+title_primary_ssort+asc