Diane Persson, long-time member of the Transgender Aging Network and colleague of Houston’s late transgender/HIV activist Brenda Thomas, was pleased to send me a copy of her new article, “Unique Challenges of Transgender Aging: Implications From the Literature,” which has just been published in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2009 (Vol. 52, pp. 633-646). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01634370802609056 )
As the title implies, there’s no new data in this article, which is instead focused on using existing documents to build a transgender 101 for social workers new to transgender aging issues. The first section gives definitions; models the dimensions of biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation; and looks at prevalence estimates. This section does (very briefly) mention autogynephilia (a highly controversial and contested theory that calls male-to-female (MTF) transsexual women sexually attracted to men “homosexual” and says other MTFs are motivated by an “erotic desire to become women”) without noting the controversy around it.
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Can you correctly answer all seven of the following True or False questions?
- You have to own property to have an “estate” and need a will.
- Medicare covers nursing home care.
- If you or your partner receives government benefits, it might not be in your interest to get married or enter into a civil union.
- When a person inherits his or her same-sex partner’s 401(k) or 403(b) retirement account, she or he always has to pay taxes on the amount.
- Legally-married transgender people don’t need the protection of a personal relationship agreement or Memorandum of Understanding.
- If you have a durable power of attorney, you do not need a hospital visitation authorization.
- No laws prohibit a retirement home from discriminating against a same-sex couple or a transgender person.
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March 15-19, 2010
LAIN Peer Group meeting and other workshops
American Society on Aging
Chicago, IL
http://www.agingconference.org/AiA10/index.cfm
February 3-7, 2010
Aging Intensive and other workshops
Creating Change 2010
Dallas, TX
www.creatingchange.org
November 9 , 2009
Transgender 101: What Services Providers Need – and Don’t Need! – to Know
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Conference
Chicago, IL
www.aahsaconference.org
