Trinidad, Colorado

Encyclopedia : T : TR : TRI : Trinidad, Colorado

Trinidad is a city in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 9,078 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Las Animas County^{[Geographic references#6GR6]}.

Contents

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 \"Sex Change Capital of the World\"
4 External links

Geography

Trinidad is located at [37°10′15″N, 104°30′23″W] (37.170944, -104.506447)^{[Geographic references#1GR1]}.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.3 km² (6.3 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^{[Geographic references#2GR2]} of 2000, there were 9,078 people, 3,701 households, and 2,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 555.5/km² (1,439.4/mi²). There were 4,126 housing units at an average density of 252.5/km² (654.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.97% White, 0.54% African American, 3.02% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 12.12% from other races, and 3.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.07% of the population.

There were 3,701 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,681, and the median income for a family was $33,992. Males had a median income of $27,817 versus $20,664 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,271. About 16.2% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

\"Sex Change Capital of the World\"

Main article: Stanley Biber

Trinidad has been dubbed the "Sex Change Capital of the World," because a local doctor had an international reputation for his sex reassignment surgery. In the 1960's, Dr. Stanley Biber, a veteran surgeon returning from Korea, decided to move to Trinidad because he had heard that the town needed a surgeon. In 1969 a local social worker asked him if he would perform the surgery for her, which he learned by consulting diagrams and a New York surgeon. Biber attained a reputation as a good surgeon at a time when very few doctors performed the operations. At his peak, Biber was performing roughly four sex change operations a day, and the term "taking a trip to Trinidad" became a euphemism for some seeking the procedures he offered. His surgical practice was taken over in 2003 by Marci Bowers. Trinidad's reputation as the sex change capital has been uncomfortable for some residents, as it is otherwise a socially conservative small town. However, the revenue brought in by Biber was important to keeping the local hospital running, and Biber was himself a respected community leader.

External links

[City of Trinidad] (official website)

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