Christine Jorgensen

It’s important to know where you came from. In my case, specifically, the ‘development’ of transsexualism.

The first famous transsexual in the United States was George Jorgensen, later Christine Jorgensen. In the 1950s, she was one of the pioneers. Even though the Germans had first started experimenting with sex reassignment surgeries in the 1930s, Christine is generally regarded as the “first” modern transsexual.

In a time where they hadn’t even really recognized transsexualism as a condition, Christine did a lot of independent research. Without any consultations from doctors, she managed to figure out that she needed to take hormone replacements—specifically, estriadol. While doing medical research into her condition, she discovered that doctors in Denmark might be able to help her.

While there, she met an endocrinologist, Dr. Christian Hamburger. They worked out a deal—she could get her treatment for free, but she would essentially be a guinea pig, since the treatments for transsexuality were highly experimental.

Long story short, it worked. Along the way, she met Dr. Harry Benjamin, and together, they came up with the Standards of Care, the governing law for transsexual treatment.

When she came back to the United States, her story had been leaked to the press—“EX-GI BECOMES BLONDE BOMBSHELL,” as one newspaper so tactfully put it. Christine used this newfound fame both as a source of income and as a way to increase public sexual tolerance.

It’s really interesting, reading her autobiography. I’m just thinking, “if I didn’t have the Internet, if I didn’t know that my condition wasn’t one-in-a-trillion, what would I do?” Could I have independently discovered the things she did? Would I have figured out that I needed to take hormones? Could I have found doctors willing to take on my case?

So, thanks, Christine Jorgensen, wherever you are. If not for you, there’s no telling what state transsexualism would be in. Cheers!

Life is great.