Eleno de Céspedes

Eleno de Céspedes, also known as Elena de Céspedes (c. 1545 – died after 1588), was an Afro-Spanish surgeon and soldier. While Céspedes was assumed to be a female at birth and was initially married to a man, Céspedes later adopted a male identity and served as a soldier during the second Rebellion of the Alpujarras, eventually becoming a surgeon during peace time and marrying a woman.

Céspedes' sex was subject to dispute as a possibly intersex individual, leading to a trial by the Spanish Inquisition on charges of sodomy, witchcraft, transvestism, and bigamy. Céspedes was acquitted of the more serious charges but was sentenced to a ten years of confinement for bigamy, which was commuted to service in a public hospital in acknowledgement of the value of Céspedes' medical skills. After this, Céspedes lived as a successful surgeon and celebrity.