How a Colorado Town Became the Sex Change Capital of the World

For many years, the small town of Trinidad, Colorado has been synonymous with gender reassignment or "sex change" surgery. In fact, Trinidad has been unofficially named the "Sex Change Capital of the World."

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These days, gender identity is much more talked about and gender fluidity is much more accepted than it was decades ago when Trinidad was first given this title. In fact, gender reassignment surgery was seen as taboo in many circles back when the small Colorado town became known for it.

So, why did Trinidad become the "Sex Change Capital of the World," and is it still?

Dr. Stanley Biber Moves to Trinidad Colorado

Stanley Biber was a military physician who, following serving in the Korean War, caught wind that Trinidad, Colorado needed a surgeon and opened up his own practice there in 1969.

Biber was incredibly skilled at delicate microsurgeries, and not long after opening his practice, was approached by a colleague that asked if he could perform a gender reassignment surgery on them.

Biber felt confident that he could pull it off, and he did, which led to numerous more patients reaching out to him to perform similar, delicate surgeries on them, which he did.

Trinidad Colorado Becomes the Sex Change Capital of the World

Because of the taboo nature of the surgery at the time, Biber's gender reassignment surgeries were largely kept out of the public eye.

However, the town's reputation as the "Sex Change Capital of the World" was cemented due to Biber's work and continued until his practice was taken over by Marci Bowers in 2003 and subsequently moved to San Mateo, California.