“Everyone seemed very interested in my life… time went on and I realized this was an important step in the eyes of the world”
Christine Jorgensen, New York News Daily (December 1952)
Introduction
In this Gaydar of the Month, we’re honouring Christine Jorgensen, born George William Jorgensen Jr. on May 30, 1926 in Bronx, New York City. A WWII veteran, she was an American transgender woman who became one of the first individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Her journey to self-discovery and acceptance was filled with personal challenges, but she captivated the world and became a transgender spokesperson, pop culture icon, and imprinted her legacy in a film titled the same as her name.
Gender Transition
From a young age, Jorgensen did not fit in with the other boys in school. She was soft-spoken and timid and her schoolmates would make fun of the feminine qualities she exhibited. In high school, Jorgensen developed an attraction towards her male friends, but she knew she was not gay. Instead, she realised that she was a woman trapped inside a man’s body.
Determined to fulfil her wish, Jorgensen traveled to Denmark after graduating from high school for gender-affirming surgery by Dr. Christian Hamburger – a Danish endocrinologist. She underwent hormone treatment and started dressing as a woman in public. Finally, she underwent a life-changing surgery to remove her male genitalia. In honor of Dr. Hamburger’s work to make her dreams come true, Gorgensen changed her name to Christine Jorgensen.
Upon her return to the United States, Jorgensen’s transition became headlines in the newspapers in 1 December 1952, titled “Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty: Operations Transform Bronx Youth.” It became an overnight sensation and it was something Jorgensen did not expect. “I was surprised that everyone seemed very interested in my life… time went on and I realized this was an important step in the eyes of the world”, said Jorgensen.
It was perhaps how the media portrayed Gorgensen in a positive light, which a transgender may otherwise had to deal with prejudice and discrimination. The media focused on her patriotic background as a WWII veteran and welcome her as an American beauty by describing her feminine features and outfits, which won the hearts of the public and press.
However, Gorgensen’s transformation was not yet complete. In the fateful day of May 1954, she finally did a vaginoplasty performed by Dr. Joseph Angelo and Dr. Harry Benjamin.
Contributions to the LGBTQIA+ Community
Jorgensen’s courageous decision to share her story helped pave the way for greater acceptance and understanding of transgender individuals, especially in the 60s and 70s. It was said that Jorgensen received thousands of letters throughout her life ever since her story went public. As the majority of the letters were from people in the LGBTQIA+ community asking for help and guidance, she wished she could respond to every single letter she received by being a role model for others.
Jorgensen went on to use her story to conduct lectures at colleges across the United States on gender identity. Her life captivated and influenced so many that, in 1970, Hollywood created a film based on her life called, The Christine Jorgensen Story. Finally, Jorgensen wrote an autobiography titled Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography to encapsulate her life journey as a transgender.
Conclusion
Jorgensen passed away in 1989 at age 62 due to bladder and lung cancer. However, her life journey had been nothing short of fulfilling. Jorgensen took matter into her own hands and created a life that exemplify courage and authenticity. As she once said, “Nature made a mistake, which I have corrected.”
