Sexual Variations

In 1973 Dr John Randell had a book published entitled Sexual Variations. Topics discussed in the work include transvestism, transsexualism, homosexuality, fetishism, masturbation, sadism, masochism, rape, incest, satyriasis, nymphomania, exhibitionism, frotteurism, group sex and voyeurism. Randell was an expert on transgenderism. He worked at Charing Cross Hospital's famous Gender Clinic where he addressed the psychological issues faced by people seeking gender reassignment operations. As one of the world's leading experts in the field he regularly turned up on television and in newspapers to air his views. The News of the World once claimed that he contributed to making London the "sex-change capital of the world".

Randell was born in Penarth. He was educated at The College, Penarth, and later the Welsh National School of Medicine. During WW2 he briefly worked at Cefn-Coed and Sully Hospitals. He then joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Surgeon Lieutenant. Later he worked as a psychotherapist and psychiatrist at various hospitals in London. His MD thesis, Cross Dressing and the Desire to Change Sex, submitted to the University of Wales in 1960 was the first higher degree thesis to be written on transsexuality anywhere in the known universe. Although his views on what had hitherto been regarded as a perversion were liberal he wasn't always regarded as a sympathetic character. Apparently he often referred to his post-op patients by their original gender.

His hobbies included photography, cooking and gardening. He died of a heart attack in 1982.