10 Important LGBTQ+ Figures From History You Should Definitely Know About!

6. Christine Jorgensen

Born in 1926, Christine Jorgensen was an American transgender woman who is the first widely known person to receive sex reassignment surgery including female hormones. Born George Jorgensen, Christine grew up in the Bronx, and after high school she was drafted into the United States Army to fight in World War II. Once she was discharged from the army, she returned home to New York and started researching sex reassignment surgery and taking estrogen.

With the intent to go to Sweden, where the only known doctors who had performed the surgery were, Christine stopped first in Copenhagen, where she met Dr. Christian Hamburger. He helped her with hormone replacement therapy, and after getting permission from the Danish Minister of Justice, Christine began the series of surgeries she needed. When she was transitioning, she chose the name “Christine” in honor of Dr. Christian Hamburger. 

After word of her surgery became public, Christine became a celebrity, appearing on television, radio, and in nightclub acts. She was very open about her story and became a great spokesperson for transgender individuals, teaching the public about herself and the community.