Rebecca Anne "Becky" Allison (December 21, 1946 - August 11, 2024) was an American

cardiologist Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...

and transgender activist. She served as president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA)Rochman, Sue (November 20, 2007)
What's up, doc? Would removing transgender from the list of mental disorders do more harm than good?
''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...

'' and as Chair of the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. This medical association was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 ...

's Advisory Committee on

Lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

, Gay,

Bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

, and

Transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

Issues.Proulx, Marie-Jo (July 19, 2006)
AMA Growing Receptive to LGBT Needs.

Life

Allison was born in

Greenwood, Mississippi Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta region, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, and 130 miles south of the rive ...

, to Errol Ward Atkinson and Mabel Blackwell Atkinson. She transitioned in 1993 while living in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

. She died on August 11, 2024.

Career

Allison graduated ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1971. After practicing

internal medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

, she returned to school in 1985 to study cardiology, working in that field beginning in 1987. Later, she moved to

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, for a position with

CIGNA The Cigna Group is an American multinational for-profit managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and r ...

and served as their chief of cardiology from 1998 to 2012, when she entered private practice. ''Phoenix Magazine'' named Allison one of the "Top Doctors" in Phoenix for 2006, 2007, and 2008.Staff report (April 2008)
Top Doctors: Cardiovascular Disease.
''Phoenix Magazine'' Allison retired from medical practice in 2018.

Activism

In 1998, Allison created an online resource site focusing on the medical, legal, and spiritual needs of transgender people. The website included a compilation of statutes for amending sex on a

birth certificate A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the Childbirth, birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation ...

,Dotinga, Randy (November 29, 2006)
Sex Change, No Surgery Required.
''

Wired News ''Wired'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. It is published in both print and online editions by Condé Nast. The magazine has been in publication since its l ...

'' a brochure on facial feminization surgery,Van Marle, Karin (2006). ''Sex, Gender, Becoming: Post-Apartheid Reflections.'' PULP, criticism of the controversial 2003 book '' The Man Who Would Be Queen'' by J. Michael Bailey,Staff report (June 25, 2003)
Trans Group Attacks New Book on 'Queens.'
''Windy City Times'' and a section on spirituality. Allison's website was cited by several publications on LGBT health care and LGBT rights.Lev, Arlene Istar (2004). ''Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and Their Families.'' Haworth Press, Makadon HJ, Mayer KH, Potter J, Goldhammer H (2007). ''The Fenway Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health.'' Hunter ND, Joslin CG, McGowan SM (2004). ''The Rights of Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, and Transgender People.'' Southern Illinois University Press, Sember, Brette McWhorter (2006). ''Gay & Lesbian Rights: A Guide for GLBT Singles, Couples and Families.'' Sphinx Publishing, She was president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, as well as Chair of the

Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues,Nielsen, Nancy H., ed. (June 19, 2008)
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender physician issues.
''AMA eVoice'' and assisted in the passage of AMA Resolution 22, "Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients."

(2008)
AMA Resolution 122: Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients.
/ref> Allison was also active in Soulforce and organized the Phoenix

Transgender Day of Remembrance The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), also known as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, has been observed annually from its inception on November 20 to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. The ...

annually with her partner Margaux Schaffer.

Selected publications

*Allison RA (2007). Transsexualism. In Fink G (ed.) ''Encyclopedia of Stress'' (2nd Edition). Elsevier, *Allison RA (2007). Transsexualism. In Pfaff D, Arnold A, Etgen A, Fahrbach S, Rubin R (eds.) ''Hormones, Brain, and Behavior'' (2nd Edition). Elsevier,

References

External links

Dr. Becky Allison: Local Action Hero
via

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

GLBT Advisory Committee members
via

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, Rebecca 1946 births 2024 deaths 21st-century American writers 21st-century American women writers American cardiologists American women cardiologists LGBTQ people from Arizona LGBTQ people from Mississippi American LGBTQ rights activists People from Greenwood, Mississippi LGBTQ physicians Transgender women writers Transgender studies academics University of Mississippi alumni Writers from Mississippi Transgender scientists American transgender women American transgender writers