The Life of Transgender Pioneer Christine Jorgensen (1926–1989)
The first person in US history to become widely known for having gender confirmation surgery
“As you can see, I have changed a great deal. But it is the other changes that are so much more important. Remember the shy, miserable person who left America? Well, that person is no more.“ - Christine Jorgensen
Transgender icon Christine Jorgensen departed the United States for Europe after WWII, known to her family and friends as a shy, effeminate 24-year-old young man. She returned two years later as a confident, headstrong 26-year-old female. Jorgensen became an author, actress, singer, and nightclub performer who later toured talk shows and college campuses to speak about her life and try to help others dealing with the same philosophical experiences that she had shared. Christine was a pioneer, helping others find the courage to look further into who they were. She did her own thing at a time when people were conforming to gender patterns dictated by society.
Christine was born on May 30, 1926, in Bronx, New York, to George W. Jorgensen Sr. and his wife Florence Hansen and named George…
