Christine Jorgensen was not the first American to have a sex change as is often claimed, but she was the first transgender person to announce her gender reassignment publicly- and to fight to make the transgender phenomenon better understood. Born Geroge William Jorgensen, in the Bronx in 1926, Jorgensen was a shy, frail, little boy who avoided rough games and fights. Jorgenson explained in later interviews that her childhood was happy. However, the onset of puberty led to the feeling she was a woman in a man's body. After hearing about pioneering work in Europe, Jorgensen began to explore making the transition from male to female. In 1950, he started taking estrogen under the supervision of Dr Christian Hamburg and in 1951, began gender reassignment procedures in Copenhagen. She chose the name Christine in honor of the doctor and returned to America in 1955. An outgoing blond beauty now replaced the shy timid little boy and Christine fast became a celebrity, acting and entertaining as well as speaking up as an early advocate for transgender people on the TV and radio. She died in 1989 of bladder and lung cancer, having, as she put it given the sexual revolution "a good swift kick in the pants to wake people up."
What courage it took to do what she did in the 50s.What glamor and style she had..A role model for today's generation. Sadly, I believe if you mention her name to the youth of today, they won't know whom you are talking about.. Much thanks for remembering, her.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hence why I think it's great to keep these names alive.
DeleteTrailblazer. That's what you call people like her. I remember how everyone thought it so scandalous.
ReplyDeleteHe was also drafted into the Army, and from what I recollect it was while he was stationed in Germany that he first became aware of the surgery.
ReplyDeleteShe was drafted, Dave.
DeleteShe was a woman even when she was in the army. Only that at that time the exterior did not match the interior.
XOXO
I can't even imagine the hell of being between two worlds and then drafted.
DeleteI have never seen a picture of Christine - not Christina - before.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful she is.
ReplyDeleteA role model and trailblazer, indeed!
ReplyDeleteIcon, trailblazer, innovator, brave soul, role model.
ReplyDeleteShe did what needed to be done when it was unthinkable for people to even imagine what she did.
XOXO
Very courageous for the day. Then and now.
ReplyDeleteJimmy
I remember watching her on talk-show television when I was a kid. My mother told me, “she used to be man.” Amazingly, my mother had nothing but praise for her. I loved seeing her and she became a hero of mine.
ReplyDeleteIcon and hero to our community.
ReplyDeleteHer bio's on my den shelf!
ReplyDeleteI have got to read that.
DeleteA true pioneer! And very beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSound like a strong person.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
The local news Facebook pages often have bigoted readers saying "what is the world coming to 🤮" or something to suggest trans people are new.
ReplyDeleteI do recall hearing about her and how long ago it's been. but conservative minded people don't care about facts.
The media is pretty bad about finding non passing trans people to highlight. We definitely need the ones that make males question how straight they are in the spotlight.
I agree. Often new things are often not new at all. Trans people have been around longer then we think. I have three trans friends and when people meet them....they have no idea.
DeleteLook at her! So very happy and living her best self. Bravo. And thanks for the gay history! Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteTundra Bunny here.... back in 1998, I worked at a forest fire-fighting emergency camp as a radio operator. I had lunch one day with a couple of the helicopter pilots who bucketed lake water to release at the fire line. One of the pilots was a woman and as I've always been fascinated about helicopters, we had a great conversation about how she'd trained in the Canadian Airforce, etc. It was easy to tell she had transitioned as an adult, but she had a lovely voice, long blond hair and the other pilot was her boyfriend! Two male Conservation Officers I worked with came in just as they were leaving. One of the COs was teasing the other about flirting with her over the radio, who turned beet red with embarrassment upon learning she was trans. Then they asked me, "Aren't you scared to have a man in the ladies' showers with you?" ...to which I replied, "Are you kidding me? That poor woman's been trapped in a male body for who knows how many years and you think it's just a cover so she can attack other women in a shower?!" I think I helped dispel some ignorance that day, LOL!
ReplyDeleteBravo Tundra!!!!!! And that is a great story!!!!!!
DeleteI always loved seeing him in interviews. Such a calm and well spoken person.
ReplyDeleteThat took a lot of courage back then, and she was beautiful to boot.
ReplyDeleteI did not know any of this; I learned something !
ReplyDeleteShe was such a well-spoken person too.
DeleteShe was a true hero and trailblazer!
ReplyDelete