We reached out to a few self-identified elders to ask them questions about their experience of being a trans elder. Here’s Jamison Green’s answers:
Jamison Green is the author of Becoming a Visible Man, which dives into the experience of emerging into masculinity as a trans man. Originally published in 2004, an updated edition was published in 2020. One line in the first chapter stands out to me:
Gender identity—the sense of self—is stronger than the body and will find a way to manifest itself.
Jamison green, Becoming a Visible Man, 2nd edition
Jamison’s biography at jamisongreen.com is
Jamison Green is an author, educator, public speaker, independent legal scholar, and consulting expert in transgender health and employment discrimination litigation. He serves as a policy consultant for business, educational, and governmental institutions, and is past president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
Do you identify as an elder?
To a certain extent, yes; after all, I’m 75 years old, and I transitioned in 1988. I’ve led several organizations and had a few successful careers, so I think I have enough experience to be called an elder. At the same time, though, I don’t identify as an elder to the extent that doing so can create a barrier between myself and younger people. I don’t want to cut myself off — or encourage others to cut me off — from full and present engagement in my/our communities.
What does “elder” mean to you? Does “being an elder” mean different things for different parts of your life and/or communities?
Traditionally, being an elder means being regarded as older and wiser, someone whose advice and perspective are valued, someone who’s been around the block a few times. I was young for a great portion of my life, too, and I’m aware that for many people, the idea that someone is old means they know nothing that is relevant to the present moment, or, in particular, relevant to the lives of young people. This is a very sad state for everyone.
What advice would you give your younger self? What advice would you give your future self?
Don’t forget to exercise, drink water, eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, and brush your teeth! That goes for my younger self, too!
Where do you find community?
Among friends, at trans events, in bookstores, and sometimes online.
You are known as an author, educator, and activist – how did your activism develop, and what feeds your activism?
My activism developed as a result of feeling that something was wrong or unfair or insensitive. It began long before I transitioned or was aware of trans or LGBTQI people. I have always been motivated to fight for justice and for the preservation of nature, and to protect vulnerable living things (people and animals). The activism for which I am more widely known, however, began when I was able to meet other trans people in the late 1980s and realize that we shared many common fears and problems, in spite of our various differences. I tried to apply my particular skills to solving some of those problems. What feeds my activism is the perception of need and the energy created when finding similarly concerned people. My activism is sustained by victories, even small ones, and by knowing I have made a difference in people’s lives.
How would you like to see gender care for older adults change?
First, we need more research about the needs of older trans adults, and we need better education in the medical, support, and housing industries so that trans people don’t have to fear seeking medical attention or services for older adults.
What is your personal motto/philosophy, and has it changed over the years?
I have two “mottos”: One is “Be Kind” — that is driven by my compassion for people, animals, other living beings, and the planet. The other one is “Bodies are Strange” — that reminds me that we don’t have precise control over what happens to us or how we look to others. We are never perfect, though we may love ourselves the way we are, we will not always remain the way we think we should be or would like to be.
When your gender was emerging, or in your young adult years, who were the people that you considered elders, mentors, or teachers? Who occupies that space for you now?
My gender emerged when I was very young, before I started kindergarten. I looked up to my father then. But I could not, back in the 1950s, find the language to say that I was trans, or that I knew I was a man. That didn’t emerge within me until the 1960s, and I didn’t find a trans man role model until 1976, when I learned about Steve Dain, and saw him on television. I didn’t meet him until early 1988, and we became friends. He was my mentor. He died in 2007. Now my mentors are younger people who keep encouraging me to write more books and articles.
Would you like to share anything else?
I think being connected to people of all ages is very important for everyone; seeing the world through others’ eyes allows us to grow and be perceptive ourselves in a multiplicity of ways. Dismantling artificial barriers to ideas, experiences, feelings, and perceptions is a way to both enrich our world and make the world safer for everyone.
We at QueerDoc wish to extend our gratitude to Jamison.
Other articles in our Elders series:
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