ABSTRACT
Transgender/nonbinary (TNB) people arrive in older adulthood with a complex set of risks and strengths accrued through a lifetime of navigating an oppressive culture and set of systems. Oppression based on gender identity and gender expression continues in old age. The experience of bias complicates TNB people’s ability to meet their needs and maintain well-being as they face the physical, mental, financial, and social challenges of aging. Structural solutions are needed to address structural oppression, including changes in policy and practice that will help TNB older people age well. Meanwhile, existing best practices and policies can be expanded to mitigate the oppression TNB older adults experience. This chapter reviews the existing literature to build an understanding of the lived experience, challenges, needs, and strengths of TNB older adults at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. The chapter describes best micro, mezzo, and macro practices for working with TNB people in later life. A case study will help readers apply an intersectional, affirming, anti-oppressive lens to meeting the needs of TNB older adults across levels of practice.
