Why is Christine Jorgensen my hero?

The answer is obvious. In a world where transsexuals were beyond freaks of nature, beyond sideshow circus acts, Christine came into the world in 1952 with grace and style, defying all norms.  She was thirty years ahead of her time. Not only was she the first publicly recognized transsexual, she transitioned so convincingly few who met her disputed her gender. It blows my mind that Christine could have found the "chutzpa" to even attempt such a move yet she did it directly with no hesitation.

Christine had her sex change operation in Denmark after a lengthy treatment of female hormone therapy, the basis of what is still used today. While her operation was not a complete "sex change" (penis and scrotum were removed but not replaced with a modified vagina) her appearance was. Once the press caught wind of her story, she was a celebrity in all she did, from trips to the grocery store to taking her driver's license test. Her born identity as George and her transformation to Christine intrigued the world. Christine had mixed feelings about her celebrity status but clearly recognized the financial benefits and generally positive press. Of course there were those who took offense to her transition but it is remarkable how few there were.

As transsexuals, we are all fortunate that our first public role model was as graceful and ladylike as she was. Imagine the difficulties we might have faced had this first public curiosity been man-like and unconvincing. Christine handled her stardom with dignity and poise. She recognized her place as a human curiosity but always presented with class, thus maintaining some dignity and paving the road for future transsexuals.

She once said. “It’s very hard to speculate on, but if I hadn’t done what I did, I may not have survived. I may not have wanted to live. Life simply wasn’t worth much. Some people may find it easy to live a lie, I can’t. And that’s what it would have been - telling the world I’m something I’m not.”

Those are words of truth and we all know the truth will set us free. Thank you, Christine, for taking one small step for woman and one giant step for womankind. You've made my goal easier, and yet we never met. Thank you.

Melissa Carter
September 2008

Christine Jorgensen