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LGBT+ Spotlight #4 Christine Jorgensen
Assigned male at birth, Christine Jorgensen was born in Bronx, NYC. After graduating in 1945, she was drafted into the US military to fight in World War 2. After her service, she attended several schools, and during this time she learned about sex reassignment surgery. Obtaining special permission from the Danish Justice Minister, she began the operations in 1951.
On December 1st, 1952, the New York Daily News ran a story about her in its frontpage, under the headline "Ex-GI becomes blonde beauty". Jorgensen became an instant celebrity upon her return to the US, with journalists focusing on her and largely ignoring the Danish Royal Family that was on the same flight. She began giving interviews, posted an autobiography, and pleaded for acceptance and understanding from the public who at the time mostly saw transsexualsas freaks and perverts.
Christine Jorgensen passed in 1989. Her highly publicized transition helped increase awareness of the difference between gender identity and sex, and increased inclusivity/acceptable towards transgender individuals.
While she may have not started the sexual revolution, she indeed helped to push it forward.
