Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989) grew up in the Bronx and served in the Army during World War II. Jorgensen’s transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front page story, which made her instantly famous and the first American trans celebrity. Though she desired a quiet life, she saw public appearances as the only way that she could make a living as a trans woman. She used her new platform to promote and advocate for the trans community, particularly through lectures. This photo was taken around the time she began her gender affirming surgeries in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1952. In a letter to friends after her surgeries she wrote “Remember the shy, miserable person who left America? Well, that person is no more and, as you can see, I'm in marvelous spirits.”