Ageing Bodies that Matter: Age, Gender and Embodiment in Older Transgender People's Life Stories

Developing a critical trans gerontology

“…Despite the prominence of Jenner, media coverage of trans people frequently focuses upon youth and upon novelty, with extensive (and often sensationalist) coverage of issues such as school bathrooms, anti‐bullying policies in schools, and medical care for young trans people (Hart ; Lester ; O’Connell ; Westbrook and Schilt ). Even the glamorized presentation of Jenner is one that potentially erases age, within a broader social context in which the articulation of femininity often requires a denial of ageing (Calasanti ; Lovelock ; Siverskog ).…”

“…Bailey (), although offering guidance to clinicians and care providers, considers trans needs in later life in the context of the whole lifecourse and highlights distinct life experiences such as the impact of a ‘second puberty’ in later life, arising from hormone therapy. Siverskog ( ) also takes a lifecourse perspective, highlighting the impact of past life experience upon accessing care as an older trans adult, and addressing intersections of gendered embodiment and age within older trans people’s experiences.…”

“…While transfeminism and critical gerontology have separately developed post‐structuralist critiques of biomedicalization and the socially constructed nature of categories of age and gender, these critiques are not currently well integrated in accounts of trans ageing. Given that commentators frequently simultaneously emphasize the diversity of trans populations, and the scarcity of empirical evidence about their needs (Fredriksen‐Goldsen et al ; Persson ; Siverskog ; Witten and Eyler ), a critical perspective is important in order to ensure that the questions being asked about trans ageing address the needs of trans communities. This paper therefore aims to bring together critical gerontology and transfeminism in order to begin to articulate a research direction for a critical trans gerontology.…”

The diversity of befriending by, and of, older people

“…For others, particularly those who have been rejected by family and friends as a result of their choices, the discrimination that they have experienced throughout their lives can mean that they sometimes feel very isolated (Whittle et al, 2007). Both transgender (Siverskog, 2015) and lesbian, gay and bisexual older people (Guasp, 2011) may be reluctant to access befriending services, especially if their previous experiences of health and social care services have been negative. (2014)is the biggest voluntary organisation providing information and support services with and for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Kingdom.…”

Queera livslopp : Att leva och åldras som lhbtq-person i en heteronormativ värld

“…Jag ser på queerteori och transstudier som något som bland annat vänder fokus mot det normativa, samt utvecklar kritiska förhållningssätt till såväl sexualitet som kön. Exempelvis har gerontologin som jag har nämnt ibland haft en genusanalys där det undersökts hur kvinnor och män upplever åldrande olika, men dessa utgångspunkter vilar ofta på cisnormativa antaganden och en binär könsmodell där icke-normativa könsuttryck samt transerfarenheter osynliggörs (Siverskog, 2015). Sandberg (2008) menar att det finns vinster med att föra in queera perspektiv på ålder och åldrande eftersom det innebär att föra in kritiska förhållningssätt till makt och normalitet som gerontologin tidigare saknat och att det också kan innebära ett ifrågasättande av idéer om gott och framgångsrikt åldrande.…”