GENDER TRANSITION AS SELF-REALISATION IN LATER LIFE

Interview with a 72 year old Trans woman in Wales

Abstract

Trans experiences of ageing have, so far, been minimally explored in academic literature; however, older Trans people who have transitioned in later life have much to offer the fields of both Trans Studies and Cultural Gerontology. By drawing on an interview with Jenny-Anne Bishop, a 72-year-old Trans woman, this study suggests that Trans ageing experiences are not adequately accounted for by dominant cultural narratives of ageing, notably decline and age-defying narratives, and instead proposes Laceulle and Baars’ (2014) framework of self-realisation as a suitable alternative. Concurrently, this study serves as an empirical illustration of how self-realisation as a framework for meaning attribution in later life can be applied.