TransGenerational: Trans Lives Across Time
I’ll admit it. I interviewed this cohort of seven trans elders because I have an agenda, a radical trans agenda — not the kind you’ll see bemoaned all over the mainstream media, but the variety that has sustained our people for generations. At the heart of this project is the hope that by meeting these folks, you might commit yourself to creating connections with queer and trans elders in your own communities. As a nonbinary elder myself, I believe that doing so isn’t just a matter of Wouldn’t it be cute to have a queer grandmoppa. Rather, it is the antidote to a condition I call the “transgenderational gap,” a broken link that leaves queer and trans communities hemorrhaging invaluable sources of insight, hope, and support.
Generational gaps impact society at large, but those shortchanging LGBTQ+ communities also have qualities specific to our history. Mending these connections requires an understanding of what’s creating them in the first place. First and foremost, too many of our would-be elders died young. As organizer Tabytha Gonzalez contends, it is the responsibility of the living to continue telling the stories of those lost to anti-Black, anti-trans violence and AIDS. She will never stop saying the names of her fallen sisters, and neither should we.
Another force fraying the links between queers of different ages is a cultural obsession with youth — one that, I can attest, can be just as divisive in queer communities as mainstream culture. Thankfully, champions are rising among us, including performer and activist World Famous *BOB*, whose work seeks to resist the desexualization of older bodies.
Finally, even in just the last decade, notions of gender identity have evolved rapidly, leaving many elders adrift in the expanding sea of terms of self-identification. Some are confused, while others simply refuse to evolve. And yet for musician D’Santi Nava, part of being an elder means welcoming the innovation of younger queer and trans folks with open arms, a process that has allowed him to gain an even deeper understanding of his own queer identity.
If the tendencies that lead to division between younger queers and their elders are many, the benefits we stand to gain from reconnecting these bonds are boundless. Gain heart from reading the liberatory vision of lawyer Jillian Weiss, who argues for our eventual victory against anti-trans legislation with the credibility of a legal veteran who has spent decades fighting for trans rights in court. Deepen your understanding of allyship through the wisdom of attorney Mia Yamamoto, who began organizing multi-cultural coalitions in LA in the 60s. Tap into your ancestral power through the galvanizing words of artist Jaguar Mary X, who sees elderhood as an “energy of possibility” that can be “felt and feared.”
There is still so much that can and must be done to enhance connections across generations. Building these relationships will not only sharpen our movement; it will strengthen our communities and enrich our lives. We can mend the transgenderational gap together. It’s time to get to work. — Sterling Cruz-Herr
