A Brief History

Early times:
     Before the 1800s, there was some notable accounts of Native American Tribes referring to people who took on traditional gender roles opposite their sex, as "Two-spirited". Some people still use this term today.

Early Records of People Identifying as Trans:
    Albert D. J. Cashier (December 25, 1843 – October 10, 1915),  was born Jennie Irene Hodgers and was an Irish-born immigrant who served as a male soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was transgender and lived as a man. He was, however seen and known as a man to everyone around him, being able to vote and be treated fully as a man. He was found out later, in two accounts, one where he was forced to wear a dress, and one where he was checked on by nurses and referred to as"female bodied" but they never went public on their discovery.
   Christine Jorgensen (May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery. Growing up in the Bronx, New York City and having just graduating from high school in 1945, she was drafted into the U.S. Army for World War II. After her service she attended several schools and began work. Around this time she heard about transitioning surgery. She traveled to Europe and in Copenhagen, Denmark, obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations starting in 1951. She returned to the United States in the early 1950s and her transformation was the subject of a New York Daily News front page story. She became an instant celebrity, using the platform to advocate for transgender people and became known for her directness and polished wit. She also worked as an actress and nightclub entertainer and recorded several songs. She later was denied the right to marry a man, resulting in the man losing his job when the engagement went public.

Through the ages:

The 1950s and 1960s saw some of the first transgender organizations and publications, but law and medicine did not respond favorably to growing awareness of transgender people.

In the 1970s and 1980s many support organizations began for male cross-dressers.

In the 1990s and 2000s transgender history began to be recognized. People began counting it into gay and lesbian forming the term LGBT. People came out more and it was referred to more commonly.

Today, many celebrities have come out as openly transgender. Most notably Laverne Cox, an American actress most known for her role in "Orange is the new Black", Lana Wachowski, sister of Andy Wachowski, her directing partner on films like The Matrix Trilogy, Jupiter Ascending and Cloud Atlas, as well as Chaz Bono, son of Sonny and Cher. Most recently and possibly widely known, is olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner, who recently underwent her transition and broke headlines across the globe. (Picture in previous post.)




Here is more indepth timeline with a lot of very awesome points!