Biography of Lili Elbe, Pioneering Transgender Woman

Biography of Lili Elbe, Pioneering Transgender Woman Lili Elbe (born Einar Magnus Andreas Wegener, later Lili Ilse Elvenes; December 28, 1882– September 13, 1931) was a pioneering transgender woman. She experienced what is now known as gender dysphoria and was one of the first individuals known to receive sex reassignment surgery, also known as gender confirmation surgery. She was also a successful painter. Her life was the subject of the novel and film The Danish Girl. Fast Facts: Lili Elbe Occupation:  ArtistKnown For: Believed to be the first recipient of gender confirmation surgeryBorn:  December 28, 1882 in Vejle, DenmarkDied:  Ã‚  September 13, 1931 in Dresden, Germany Early Life Born as Einar Wegener in Vejle, Denmark, Lili Elbe began life as a boy. Some sources believe that she was intersex, having some female biological characteristics, but others dispute those reports. Some think she may have had Klinefelter Syndrome, the presence of two or more X chromosomes in addition to the Y chromosome. Destruction of medical records leaves these questions unanswered. Elbe studied art at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, she met illustrator and painter Gerda Gottlieb, who was accomplished in both art nouveau and art deco styles. Marriage and Painting Einar and Gerda fell in love and married in 1904. They both worked as artists. Einar Wegener specialized in landscape paintings in a Post-Impressionistic style while Gerda found employment as a book and magazine illustrator. Einar exhibited works at the prestigious Salon dAutomne in Paris, France. Around 1908, Danish actress Anna Larssen failed to show up for a modeling session with Gerda Wegener. Over the telephone, the actress suggested that Einar wear womens clothing and substitute as a model due to his delicate build. He was hesitant at first, but agreed after pressure from Gerda. Lili later wrote, I cannot deny, strange as it may sound, that I enjoyed myself in this disguise. I liked the feel of soft womens clothing. I felt very much at home in them from the first moment. Einar soon became a frequent model for his wifes work. After walking in on a modeling session, Anna Larssen suggested the name Lili for Einars new persona. It was soon adopted, and Lili began appearing more often outside of modeling sessions. The surname Elbe was later chosen in honor of the river that flows through Dresden, Germany, the site of her last surgeries. In her autobiography, Lili Elbe expressed that she eventually killed Einar, while setting herself free, when she chose to have sex reassignment surgery. In 1912, when word emerged that the model for Gerdas work was actually her husband, they faced scandal in their home city of Copenhagen. The couple left their country and moved to the more accepting city of Paris, France. Throughout the 1920s, Einar frequently appeared at events as Lili. Gerda often presented her as Einars sister. By the end of the decade, Lili became desperate to live life as a woman. Doctors and psychologists labeled Lili a schizophrenic to describe the battle between male and female. She chose May 1, 1930, as a suicide date. In February 1930, however, she learned that the doctor Magnus Hirschfeld might help her begin the transition process. Transition Lili Elbe underwent a series of four or five sex reassignment surgeries beginning later in 1930. Magnus Hirschfeld consulted on the procedures while gynecologist Kurt Warnekros performed them. The first involved removal of the testicles and took place in Berlin, Germany. Later surgeries implanted an ovary and removed the penis and took place in Dresden, Germany. The planned final operation involved implantation of a uterus and construction of an artificial vagina. Some reports emerged that the surgeons found rudimentary ovaries in Lilis abdomen. Later in 1930, Lili obtained an official passport under the name Lili Ilse Elvenes. In October 1930, King Christian X of Denmark officially annulled the marriage of Einar Wegener and Gerda Gottlieb. Their parting was amicable. Lili was finally able to officially live her life as a woman. Lili ended her career as an artist, believing that the work as a painter belonged to Einar. She met and fell in love with French art dealer Claude Lejeune. He proposed, and the couple planned to marry. Lili hoped surgery would allow her to bear a child to build a family with her husband. Death In 1931, Lili returned to Dresden, Germany for surgery to implant a uterus. In June, the surgery took place. Lilis body soon rejected the new uterus, and she suffered from an infection. Drugs to prevent rejection did not become readily available until fifty years later. Lili died on September 13, 1931 from cardiac arrest brought on by the infection. Despite the tragic nature of her death, Lili expressed to friends and family that she was grateful for the opportunity to live life as a woman following the surgeries. Reflecting on life after her first surgery, she wrote, It may be said that 14 months is not much, but they seem to me like a whole and happy human life. Legacy and The Danish Girl Unfortunately, many gaps in the life story of Lili Elbe existed. Books at Germanys Institute for Sexual Research relating to her story were destroyed in 1933 by Nazi students. Allied bombing raids in 1945 destroyed the Dresden Womens Clinic and its records during World War II. For researchers, the process of sorting myth from fact is difficult. Much of what is known about Lili Elbe comes from her autobiography Man Into Woman published by Ernst Ludwig Harthern-Jacobson under the pseudonym Niels Hoyer after her death. It is based on her diaries and letters. Many researchers believe that Lili Elbe was the first woman to receive sex reassignment surgery. However, some dispute the fact. Whether unique or not, the surgery was highly experimental in the 1930s. In 2000, author David Ebershoff published his novel The Danish Girl, based on Lili Elbes life. It became an international bestseller. In 2015, the novel was made into a film of the same name. Source Hoyer, Niels, editor. Man Into Woman: An Authentic Record of a Change of Sex. Jarrold Publishers, 1933.