May 23, 200719 yr First sex-swap mayor to be sworn in - and the mayoress used to be a man too! Last updated at 12:43pm on 23rd May 2007 Comments (4) A man who had a sex swap is set to become the UK's first transgender mayor - and his mayoress has had a sex change too. Liberal Democrat Jenny Bailey, 45, who underwent a sex change operation when she was in her 30s, is likely to be sworn in as the civic leader of Cambridge City Council at a ceremony tomorrow. Her partner, Jennifer Liddle, 49, who also underwent a sex swap and is a former councillor, will be mayoress. They are believed to be the world's first transgender Mayor and Mayoress. Ms Bailey, who was once married and fathered two children, now aged 20 and 18, has served on Cambridge City Council with her partner. Scroll down for more The world's first sex change mayor and mayoress: Jenny Bailey (right) with partner Jennifer Liddle More.... Government loses 'sham marriages' ruling The couple met while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Jenny said: "So many more things define me than being transgender, a medical condition I had 15 years ago which I have now recovered from. "I'm proud that I managed to get through something which was quite difficult and managed to come out of it a better person. I certainly do not want it to eclipse being mayor. "If it damages the Cambridge mayoralty I will be so upset. I'm so proud of Cambridge. It's an honour to be mayor." She remains close to her ex-wife and they share the responsibility for bringing up the boys. One now lives with Jenny and Jennifer while the other stays with their mother. The couple said no-one had ever had a problem with them being transgender. "It has been described as the worst kept secret in Cambridge," according to Jennifer, who added that a number of people at the council knew Jenny from before her transition. She is well known in computer software programming circles as a former employee of Philips, in St Andrew's Road, Chesterton. Jenny said: "As far as we are concerned, it's never been a secret. The nature of the Cambridge software industry is that I can't go into a company and not meet one of those 2,500 people who worked at Philips. "When I first joined the Liberal Democrats there was a vetting process and they asked, 'Is there anything in your past that is going to be difficult?' I said I was transgender and they said, 'No, is there anything that is going to be difficult'?" Jenny's ex-wife, who did not want to give her name, said she now calls her former husband her 'best friend'. "I am incredibly proud of Jenny and the achievements she has made over the last few years," she said. "She is a totally selfless person who wants to help others and make a positive impact on our community. "I think she will make an excellent mayor and has major contributions to make. I hope this will be the focus which people concentrate on." A spokesman for the Local Government Association said Ms Bailey would be the first transgender mayor in the UK. A spokesman for Cambridge City Council said the couple would not be disclosing their previous identities.
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