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Martine Rothblatt and transgender people

Martine Rothblatt is an American lawyer, entrepreneur, and author. Rothblatt is known for work in satellite communications, biotechnology, and writings on transgender identity and transhumanism.

Background

Martine Aliana Rothblatt was born August 14, 1954 in San Diego, California. Rothblatt earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1976, a law degree from UCLA School of Law in 1979, and a master’s degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1980.

In the 1980s, Rothblatt worked in Washington, DC as a communications lawyer and policy advocate. In 1987, Rothblatt filed a petition with the US Federal Communications Commission that helped establish regulatory approval for satellite radio. Rothblatt subsequently founded CD Radio Inc., later renamed Sirius Satellite Radio, which launched commercial service in 2002 and later merged with XM Satellite Radio.

In 1996, Rothblatt founded United Therapeutics Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension and organ manufacturing technologies. Rothblatt has served as chairperson and chief executive officer since its founding.

Rothblatt married Bina Aspen Rothblatt in 1982. They have four children.

Trans activism

Rothblatt came out as transgender and publicly transitioned in 1994 and has written extensively on transgender topics, including the 1995 book The Apartheid of Sex, which argues for the legal and social recognition of gender diversity.

By the 1990s, many trans people did not like the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, a consensus standard used by many doctors. Lawyer Phyllis Randolph Frye led the trans organization that wrote an important informed consent model. On September 15, 1993 the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy (ICTLEP) adopted Health Law Standards of Care for Transsexualism. Drafted by Martine Rothblatt and revised by a committee led by Spencer Bergstedt, it was adopted by many doctors, especially endocrinologists and surgeons performing facial gender confirmation surgery.

Rothblatt also coauthored a 1995 guide with Sheila Kirk titled Medical, Legal, and Workplace Issues for the Transsexual.

Rothblatt later expanded this interest to transhumanism, advocating the use of technology to extend human life and consciousness. In 2004, Rothblatt co-founded the Terasem Movement, a nonprofit organization promoting the preservation and digital continuation of human consciousness. Rothblatt’s book From Transgender to Transhuman (2011) outlines these views.

References

Colias, Mike (May 8, 2017). Transgender CEO Martine Rothblatt Talks Transition, Trump, and True Love. The Advocate
https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2017/5/08/transgender-ceo-martine-rothblatt-talks-transition-trump-and-true-love-video

Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (May 30, 2015). Martine Rothblatt on Transhumanism, BINA48, and the Future of Humanity. https://ieet.org/archive/articles/rothblatt20150530.html

Academy of Achievement (2015). Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D. https://achievement.org/achiever/martine-rothblatt-ph-d/

Roberts, Roxanne (December 12, 2014), Martine Rothblatt: She founded SiriusXM, a religion and a biotech. For starters. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/martine-rothblatt-she-founded-siriusxm-a-religion-and-a-biotech-for-starters/2014/12/11/5a8a4866-71ab-11e4-ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html

Miller, Lisa (September 8, 2014). The Trans-Everything CEO. https://nymag.com/article/martine-rothblatt-transgender-ceo.html

Cowan, Zagria (October 2, 2009). Martine Rothblatt (1954 – ) lawyer, broadcast executive, biotechnologist, transhumanist. A Gender Variance Who’s Who. https://zagria.blogspot.com/2009/10/martine-rothblatt-1954-lawyer-broadcast.html

Selected books

Rothblatt, Martine (2014). Virtually Human: The Promise and the Peril of Digital Immortality. St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 978-1250046635

Rothblatt, Martine (2011). From Transgender to Transhuman: a Manifesto on the Freedom of Form. Martine Rothblatt, ISBN 978-0615489421 transreads

Rothblatt, Martine (1997). Unzipped Genes. Temple University Press, ISBN 978-1566395229

Rothblatt, Martine (1995). The Apartheid of Sex: a Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender. Crown, ISBN 978-0044409588

Rothblatt, Martine; Kirk, Sheila (1995). Medical, Legal, and Workplace Issues for the Transsexual.

Media

Smithsonian Institution Lemelson Center (May 11, 2022), Innovative Lives: Martine Rothblatt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JwJ0siCic alt url https://www.si.edu/object/innovative-lives-martine-rothblatt%3Ayt_c-JwJ0siCic

Academy of Achievement (May 17, 2021). Martine Rothblatt, Academy Class of 2019, Full Interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PMTOy39CU4

Staff report (March 31, 2021). Celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility with a special conversation featuring SiriusXM founder Martine Rothblatt. SiriusXM https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/honor-international-transgender-day-of-visibility-with-sxm-founder-martine-rothblatt

The Tim Ferriss Show with Tim Ferriss and Martine Rothblatt (December 16, 2020), Dr. Martine Rothblatt — The Incredible Polymath of Polymaths | The Tim Ferriss Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1rExMw-13A post https://tim.blog/2020/12/16/martine-rothblatt/ transcript https://tim.blog/2020/12/17/martine-rothblatt-transcript/

Harvard Business School Staff, 2018, “Making the Impossible Possible: Martine Rothblatt”, Harvard Business School
https://www.hbs.edu/news/articles/Pages/cc-martine-rothblatt-video.aspx

TED (May 18, 2015). Martine Rothblatt: My daughter, my wife, our robot, and the quest for immortality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTJpJlVkRTA
https://www.ted.com/talks/martine_rothblatt_my_daughter_my_wife_our_robot_and_the_quest_for_immortality

Resources

United Therapeutics (unither.com)

World Against Racism Museum (endracism.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Forbes (forbes.com)