Variations in Sexual Behavior

Sexual Minorities: 7. Transsexuals

Historical Notes 2

For centuries, Europeans and Americans who deviated from the traditional gender roles suffered all kinds of discrimination. Finally, sexological research and improved surgical techniques reframed the entire issue. One began to distinguish between different gender problems and to offer different solutions.
Magnus Hirschfeld who had coined the terms “transvestism” and “transsexualism”, acted as an advisor in the first attempts at sex reassignment surgery in the 1920’s and early 1930’s. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that the general public became aware of the phenomenon.
In 1951, a young American soldier by the name of George William Jorgensen went to Denmark and returned one year later as attractive woman: Christine Jorgensen. While he was not the first to undergo a series of “sex change” operations, he presented a dramatic and successful excample. The world-wide publicity following her case enabled Jorgensen to to pursue a career as an entertainer. Most importly, however, by becoming a spokesperson for her cause and remaining in the limelight, she did much to raise the public consciousness about transsexualism, and in this she succeeded to a considerable extent.
In recent decades, hormonal treatments and surgical techniques have been improved and refined, so that a great many transsexuals have been able to make a transition from male to female or vice versa. Moreover, many countries have modernized their civil laws and now allow the necessary changes in personal documents (birth certificates, ID cards, passports etc.) However, by no means all problems have been solved, and thus it is still necessary for transsexuals to form support groups, to continue educating the public, and to lobby legislatures for additional reforms.

Christine Jorgensen (1926 –1989) was the first transsexual to become an international celebrity.
Left: Newspaper headline. Right: Newspaper ad for her stage show.