Samuel Masters for Art-Sheep
In the 1950s, a time in which the rise of the first transgender organizations was not eyed favorably by the American law and medicine, Christine Jorgensen became the first person known to have legally undergone surgery to be turned from male to female and actually become famous for her gender reassignment. Christine, born George William Jorgensen in 1926, New York and never quite feeling at home with her male identity, decided after her graduation and military service, to leave the United States, where gender reassignment surgery was still illegal and have it done in Denmark, along with a second reconstructive surgery.
After her return to the States in 1955, Jorgensen was already a celebrity, followed around by the press and fans, and receiving offers for interviews, photo-shoots and the exclusive rights to her story. Making her living as a successful entertainer, actress and singer, Christine died of cancer 1989 . Characteristically, she had stated, “The answer to the problem must not lie in sleeping pills and suicides that look like accidents, or in jail sentences, but rather in life and the freedom to live it.”
via mashable
