The singer and “performer” became the first French celebrity to undergo gender reassignment surgery
With today’s doodle, Google honors French woman Coccinelle, a pioneer for the LGBTI community and the first person in the country to undergo gender reassignment surgery
Jacqueline-Charlotte Dufresnoy was born today, August 23, 1931 in Paris. She grew up with a deep, inner sense of being a woman, along with interests in fashion and performance. After wearing a red dress with black polka dots to a party, teenage Jacqueline earned the nickname Coccinelle, or ladybug in Greek.
In 1953, Coccinelle made her stage debut at Madame Arthur, a cabaret in Paris, performing a song from the film Premier rendez-vous. She won a role at Le Carrousel de Paris, a popular music hall with many transgender performers, where her talent and stage presence captivated the audience.
Coccinelle became the first French celebrity to undergo gender reassignment surgery at a clinic in Casablanca in 1958. In France it was illegal to wear clothes that did not match your gender, and the publicity surrounding her surgery brought LGBTQ+ rights to the fore.
After returning to France, Coccinelle quickly became an international icon. Her cabaret show toured the world, including Europe and South America. He also began acting in films such as Europa Di Notte in 1959 and Los Viciosos in 1962.
While continuing to perform, she founded the organization Devenir Femme, which provided support to transgender people wishing to undergo gender reassignment surgery. He also helped organize the Transsexuality and Gender Identity Help, Research and Information Center. In 1987, she published an autobiography of the same title detailing her transition and career on stage.
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