Christine Jorgensen was born on this day, she was the first American to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
After being drafted into the military and serving in World War II Jorgensen heard news about the new medical procedures of gender reassignment surgery.
She traveled to Europe and in Copenhagen, Denmark, began the process of transitioning in 1951. She chose the name Christine in honour of the endocrinologist who treated her, Dr Christian Hamburger.
She returned to the United States in the early 1950s. Her transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front-page story. While the report wrongly suggested Jorgensen was the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery, she was the first person to be treated with a combination of hormones and surgery.
She became an instant celebrity, using the platform to advocate for transgender people and became known for her directness and polished wit. She also worked as an actress and nightclub entertainer and recorded several songs. She published her autobiography and often spoke at universities about her experiences.
In 1959 she became engaged to typist Howard J Knox (pictured), but the couple were unable to gain a marriage certificate because Jorgensen was identified as male on her birth certificate. Knox lost his job when it became known he was engaged to someone who was transgender. The couple sadly broke up.
Shortly before her death in 1989 Jorgensen said that she had given the sexual revolution a “good swift kick in the pants”. She died of bladder and lung cancer four weeks short of her 63rd birthday.
Author Colm Toibin was born in 1955
Irish author Colm Toibin was born on this day in 1955, h’s found success as a novelist, playwright, poet, short story writer, essayist and critic.
His first novel The South was published in 1990, but it was his fourth work The Blackwater Lightship that got him wide attention when it was shortlisted for The Booker Prize. His 2005 novel The Master was also shortlisted.
He succeeded Martin Amis as the professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester, and later became the Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. He is currently the Irene and Sydney B Silverman Professor of Humanities at Columbia University in Manhattan.
During his career he’s published many books including The Heather Blazing, The Story of Night, The Blackwater Lightship, The Master, Brooklyn, The Testament of Mary, Nora Webster, House of Names, The Magician, and his most recent work Long Island which was released in 2004.
Toibin lives in Los Angeles with his partner Hedi El Khoti, who is the editor at Semiotext(e) a publisher of literary journals. Back in 2016 Toibin reflected on his work as a writer and his youth in Ireland on the BBC show Desert Island Discs.
This post was fist published on 30th May 2020 and has subsequently been updated.
