Summary:
In the past section the question and the true definition of what makes a woman and what makes a man was brought up. In other words, what is it that makes someone their sex. At the end of March in 1959 a, now female, named Chris Jogensen was applying fr a marriage licence for her and her husband could get married. Because, in the mind of many, only men can marry women. She was denied the licence because her birth certificate stated that she was actually a man, and two men could not marry. However, because of her surgical rebirth as a woman, she was able to get a letter from the doctor in Denmark stating that she must be considered a female. Sadly, even so, she was denied the licence. Through her story, the question and concerns of sex changing was brought to light, especially through the media. She also began to question if the world would be ready to have a new understanding of sexuality. She knew that her new fame, due to all the press, was like a revolution. Before the World War II, people had a limited amount if individualism, and as of now she was a new type of individual. Some reporters even characterized her as a "freak" or a "pervert". This was what she meant by the world being ready. Would they be able to adjust to this? Luckily , whether the world was ready or not, Jorgensen continued on, and because of that she came to realize what was her metier. She was very successful with "making sex change an inspiring story of personal triumph as well as a titillating tale of sexual transgression"
While young, growing as a boy feeling like a girl, was difficult to Jorgensen. Because there was so much "inner turmoil"(Meyerowitz 5) in her life as a boy, she felt isolated, and different from others. She eventually came to the conclusion that having the surgery would be the cure for this battle of feeling like a woman but looking like a man. Jorgensen, at one point in time, felt that maybe he just had to act more manly, and still there was no change in what he felt. She knew she was a woman, rather that a confused man, or a man trying to emulate women. While her confidence increased, the controversies increased. Some news and magazines would question whether she was actually a fabricated woman or simply a different man. Ignoring the fact that she had stated that she did not want to live as a man who likes men, she wanted the complete transformation. These news stories did no damage at all to her confidence, in fact she began to play the game also. She maintained her views, and used attention in order to launch her new career. Not only did it keep her in the news, but it also increased her chanced of reaching true miserably.
Quote:
"While Jorgensen courted fame, the popular culture exploded with new stories on sex change"(Meyerowitz 81).
Reaction:
After reading this I concluded that Jogensen's story was the start of a new era, or a revolution, and she was the ring leader. That is, she took a risky step, took rjection in something so personal as being able to marry the person you love, and constantly coping with the bad press. Although one would think that with al of that, fame was going to be difficult, she not only was able to surpass the negative aspects of her new life in the fab lane, but she was able to pave the way for the future.
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