GenderLife Forum: The Information Exchange

Like so many, the first ts woman of whom I was aware was Christine Jorgensen. But somehow I couldn't relate to her; what she'd done seemed too impossible for me.

The first ts woman I ever met was Chrysis St. Laurent, later known as International Chrysis. In the summer of 1974 she was a showgirl playing Harry's Bar at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach with the road company of the Manhattan Blue Angel cabaret. She read me in a heartbeat and enthusiatically encouraged me to try my transition wings. She was exhilirating, intoxicating, and very supportive, but ultimately more than my then still very conventional self was able to accommodate.

Renee Richards and Jan Morris at about the same time.

Actually, that's not accurate. The very first was on The Love Boat: Gopher's best friend from high school, played by Mackenzie Philips. But that's fiction isn't it?

I first read about Christine Jorgensen in an article about her printed in the Sunday edition Of The Daily News when I was nine years old. I knew then I wasn't the only girl going through all this and wondered if and when my problem could be corrected as Christine's was.

I don't remember any names but I remember seeing a segment on transsexuals on an old show called "Real People" when I was 8 or so. I remember immediately identifying with them. However, Renee Richards was the first transsexual who I was aware of by name.

I'm not sure who I heard of first: Rene Richards, Jan Morris, Tula, Wendy Carlos, Canary Conn, or any number of talk shows I watched with my mom when I was young. What I do recall as grew into adolescence and college was how non-normative transsexuals were, and also at the time how gays and lesbians looked down as much as straight people did.

The first TS I met in person had run off from OK to Santa Cruz, become a lesbian avenger, then had to move back a couple of years into transition. She was my only friend for a while and got me out into Tulsa's queer scene, but I wasn't ready for it. There were other things about her that made me question whether transitioning would lead to an improvement in my own life. At the time, I decided it wouldn't.

I never went into serious denial about my gender feelings; I never decided to go out and 'be a man'. I was very goal-oriented and focused on establishing a career, and that seems to have made me read as male.

ha! alexis arquette. although i've known about transwomen in general 4 a long time

oh, and gwen araujo

Pre face lift: Christine Jorgensen
Post face lift: Caroline Cossey

Looking younger I've got to think younger. I've been reborn in Gen X.

Christine Jorgensen was the first one I heard of, Caroline Cossey the first that I saw by name, but the first one I encountered was on a program that was on PBS one night.