Christine Jorgensen
First American widely known for gender affirmation surgery (1926-1989) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Christine Jorgensen (May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American actress, singer, recording artist, and transgender activist. A trans woman, she was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery.
Christine Jorgensen | |
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Born | (1926-05-30)May 30, 1926 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
Died | May 3, 1989(1989-05-03) (aged 62) San Clemente, California, U.S. |
Education | Mohawk Valley Community College,[1] The Progressive School of Photography,[2] Manhattan Medical and Dental Assistant School[3] |
Occupation(s) | Actress, night club singer, recording artist |
Known for | Pioneering gender reassignment |
Signature | |
In 1945, Jorgensen was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. After she served as a military clerical worker, Jorgensen attended several schools, worked, and pursued a photography career.[4] During this time, she learned about sex reassignment surgery and traveled to Europe, where in Copenhagen, Denmark, she obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations beginning in 1952.[5]
Upon her return to the United States in the early 1950s, her transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front-page story. She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people.
Her 1967 autobiography Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography sold almost 450,000 copies.[6] Throughout her career, she gave lectures at colleges at university[7] on the topics of transsexuality,[8] though she would later disassociate with the term "transsexual" and prefer the term transgender.[7]