In 1952 I was only six but could read well enough to understand newspaper articles and TV reports. Ms Jorgensen's change was the topic of the year. She described the media frenzy in her autobiography. You can believe and believe that media today has nothing on what happened in the weeks following.
One memory that stands out was when she appeared on a TV show "Arthur Murry's Dance Party" in 1953 or 54 or thereabouts. The response across the media was rage that television would broadcast such horrible trash. That was followed by weeks or months of news broadcasts and letters to the editor from viewers and editorials. It was terrifying. The hatred and pure viciousness of the attacks on her were horrendous.
Its unbelievably sad that many today are echoing the same BS today.
Later, when I realized my own status and was 12 or 13 or so, I read a report said that she was living on Long Island. We were living in Mineola at the time (in the center of Nassau county). Ms Jorgensen probably lived within bicycle range. Had I known where she was I might well have knocked on her door. That would have been a life changing memory if I didn't go all fangirl, that is. :-)
