Jamison's Story

For those seeking more information about Jamison's personal history, the following biographical data and photos are presented. Please note the copyright and permissions information on every page of this site.

Photo credits: Above left: James & Heidi in San Francisco, April, 2003. Photo by Kate Bornstein. Top right: Elementary school, mid-1950s. Middle right: With newborn daughter, 1985. Right: Before (age 33) and After one year in transition (age 40/41).

Jamison Green was born in Oakland, California, in 1948. He was adopted at 1 month of age by a couple who desired a baby girl, and he was given a female first and middle name. Female-bodied and male gendered, James was incapable of conforming to prevailing standards for female behavior.

He started refusing to wear dresses before he was two years old, and by the time he entered public school, he was aware that he was different from other boys and girls. People often had difficulty determining the sex of the masculine child wearing a dress, and they would treat him as an object of ridicule. James credits the unconditional love of his adoptive family for much of the inner strength that has enabled him to survive and be successful. He was also fortunate that his family was very stable

and that no one in his immediate or extended family suffered from such adverse conditions as alcoholism, violence or abusive behaviors, or any affective psycho-social disorders.