History of Medical Transition

## Early Transitioners

### Lilli Elbe

Lilli Elbe is believed to be the first person to undergo successful sex reassignment surgery. She was born in Denmark in 1882 and assigned male at birth. Elbe learned that gender transition was possible while in Berlin in the 1920s. She had several operations, however, the last one resulted in her death in 1931.

### Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen was born in 1921. She was a trans woman who became famous in the United States for her transition. After World War II, when she was let out of the military, Jorgensen attended college where she learned about medical transition. Having felt that she was more like a woman than a man for much of her life, she decided that was something she wanted to pursue. Despite her wanting privacy, Christine Jorgensen’s sex reassignment surgery was published by many newspapers in 1952. This was the first time that a gender transition was publicly documented on this scale.

## Older Viewpoints On Transition

### Autogynephilia

Autogynephila is a theory proposed by Ray Blanchard in attempt to “explain” the existence of transgender women. It states that sapphic trans women do not transition due to having a woman’s gender identity, but rather to be sexually aroused at the sight of themselves as women. It also says that straight trans women are actually gay men who want to date straight men, but this idea was less central to Blanchard’s ideas. Autogynephila does not account for the existence of trans men and nonbinary people. It is no longer a medically accepted theory, and many transgender people believe it to be a harmful, inaccurate concept.

### Transmedicalism

Transmedicalism began with gatekeeping gender-affirming care (such as hormone replacement therapy) to only a specific group of transgender people. This prioritized group consisted solely of binary, heterosexual, gender-conforming trans individuals. Some doctors would refuse to allow anyone to progress with their transition unless they fit this small, specific category. Now, the World Professional Organization of Transgender Health (WPATH) has universal guidelines on prescribing transition medications and surgery. The requirements for medical treatment are only that one must experience gender dysphoria (discomfort caused by being the “wrong gender”) and have nothing to do with gender expression or sexual orientation. Because of this, modern transmedicalism is mostly confined to internet communities of trans individuals who exclude based on conformity.

## Medical Advancements

### Gender Dysphoria

Gender Dysphoria, formerly known as Gender Identity Disorder, was added to the DSM-3 as a diagnosis for the discomfort felt by many transgender people about their sex assigned at birth. This helped many trans people achieve medical transition who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. In the DSM-5, the name was changed to Gender Dysphoria to eliminate stigma associated with trans individuals. Before that point, gender transition was seen as a risky and experimental process. Now, there are formal standards of care for gender dysphoria.

## Sources

1. https://www.biography.com/artists/lili-elbe
2. https://blogs.loc.gov/families/2022/06/lgbtq-history-christine-jorgensens-life-of-fame-and-femininity/
3. https://www.juliaserano.com/av/Serano-CaseAgainstAutogynephilia.pdf
4. https://genderdysphoria.fyi/en
5. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/a-history-of-transgender-health-care/