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Josef Kirchner and transgender people

Josef Kirchner is an American ex-transgender activist who received extensive media coverage in the early 2000s.

Background

Much of Kirchner’s biographical information is self-reported and cannot be independently confirmed.

Josef A. Kirchner was born on April 13, 1964 and was reportedly named Charles Kirchner at the time. Around age 17, Kirchner reportedly sought out psychological help related to sexuality. Kirchner reportedly started a medical transition at age 19 and began using the name Judy Kirchner. At age 24, Kirchner reportedly had bottom surgery in Europe. In 1999, Kirchner had facial feminization surgery with Douglas Ousterhout.

Kirchner was reportedly married and divorced twice while living as Judy. Kirchner has claimed to have a variation of sex development.

Ex-trans activism

After having facial feminization, Kirchner reportedly heard a radio interview with Richard A. Cohen, a reparative therapist who ran the website Gay to Straight. Kirchner then made additional gender changes, began using the name Josef Kirchner, and got involved in ex-trans activism.

Kirchner was involved in Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), an “ex-gay” organization founded by Theodore and Elaine Berk and Arthur and Jane Goldberg, which was found to be engaging in consumer fraud in 2015. The founders then transferred assets to Jewish Institute for Global Awareness (JIFGA), which was shut down by the courts in 2019.

Kirchner contributed to the Reality Resources site founded by ex-trans activist Jerry Leach (1941–2015).

Kirchner appeared in the 2006 video Almost Myself, directed by T. Joe Murray (aka Tom Murray).

Kirchner and Michael Berke (1964–2018) appeared in the 2008 MSNBC report Born in the Wrong Body: Change of Heart. Kirchner stated:

“
I do not regret the years spent living as a female. However, I will say if I had been allowed other options with what I know now, I would have elected for penile inversion surgery to recreate my genitalia to its present form and would have foregone living as female. I had a lot of fun along the way and believe my experience was no more or no less than any classically diagnosed transgendered person.”

Kirchner engaged in sex work and pornography under the stage name Mangina Man.

References

“Jones, Zinnia” (July 31, 2015). Walt Heyer and “sex change regret” (Gender Analysis 09). https://genderanalysis.net/2015/07/walt-heyer-and-sex-change-regret-gender-analysis-09/

Cowan, Zagria (January 11, 2009). Josef Kirchner (1964 – ) performer, changeback. A Gender Variance Who’s Who https://zagria.blogspot.com/2009/01/josef-kirchner-1964-performer-changeback.html

Khyri (August 30, 2008). MSNBC’s ‘Born in the Wrong Body: A Change of Heart.’ Transcend Gender https://transcendgender.com/2008/08/30/msnbcs-born-in-the-wrong-body-a-change-of-heart/

Ariens, Chris (August 23, 2008). Gender Bending (and Back Again) on MSNBC. Adweek https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/gender-bending-and-back-again-on-msnbc/

Kraemer, Thomas (October 11, 2008). Male-to-female-to-male Josef Kirchner. http://thomaskraemer.blogspot.com/2008/10/male-to-female-to-male-josef-kirchner.html [archive]

Kraemer, Thomas (September 2008). Mangina Man: MTFTM. thomaskraemer.blogspot.com/2008/09/mangina-man-mtftm.html [not archived]

Kraemer, Thomas (August 2008). Ex trans male to female to male. thomaskraemer.blogspot.com/2008/08/ex-trans-male-to-female-to-male.html [not archived]

Brain, Zoe (May 15, 2006). Not Funny. https://aebrain.blogspot.com/2006/05/not-funny.html

Media

MSNBC (2008). Born in the Wrong Body: Change of Heart [archive]

GenderTalk with Gordene MacKenzie and Nancy Nangeroni (June 10, 2006). Program # 563: Tom Murray. https://www.gendertalk.com/radio/programs/550/gt563.shtml

Resources

Josef Kirchner (josefkirchner.com) [archive]

Josef Kirchner: Help Me Reverse My Sex Change (helpmereversemysexchange.org) [archive]

Josef Kirchner: The Mangina Man (themanginaman.com) [archive]

Manjam (manjam.com)

  • Mangina Man
  • http://www.manjam.com/manginaman [not archived]

Tom Murray: Almost Myself (almostmyself.com) [archive]

Richard Cohen: Gay to Straight (gaytostraight.org) [archive]

JONAH: Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (jonahweb.org) [archive]

Jerry Leach: Reality Resources (realityresources.com) [archive]

University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries (sclfind.libs.uga.edu)

IMDb (imdb.com)