Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen was an actress, nightclub entertainer, and the first transgender person to be widely publicized in America. On December 1, 1952, her transition was the subject of a front-page story in the New York Daily News and she became a celebrity overnight. Christine sold the exclusive rights of her story to William Randolph Hearst's The American Weekly, which published her five-part series, "The Story of My Life," in 1953. She also launched a successful nightclub act, recorded several songs, and appeared in TV, radio, and theatrical productions. From the 1960s until her death in 1989, Christine lectured at college campuses, discussing gender identity and advocating for transgender rights. Christine published her autobiography, Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography, in 1967, and went on to sell over 400,000 copies. She was also the subject of a biopic, The Christine Jorgensen Story (1970). Her 1957 interview with Nipsey Russell has been depicted in the 2005 Off-Broadway production, Christine Jorgensen Reveals. Recently she was portrayed by Jamie Clayton in Equal (2020). Christine died of bladder and lung cancer in 1989. She was inducted into Chicago's Legacy Walk celebrating LGBT history in 2012, honored in San Francisco's Rainbow Walk in 2014, and included in the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at Stonewall National Monument in New York City in 2019.