An Ally to Transgender Older Adults
by
 “Donna and Wife, Dee, Learning Line Dancing” by Mariette Pathy Allen (1998). |
Four and a half years ago, I started my dream job as executive director of SAGE/Milwaukee, a social services agency for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders. At the time, my knowledge of transgender issues was limited, to say the least. I was spawned as an out gay male in 1965, when transgender wasn’t even a word yet. So when I took a job as an advocate for LGBT elders, I had a lot to learn.
Things started to get interesting when the SAGE/Milwaukee book club read Trumpet (New York City: Vintage, 2000), Jackie Kay’s novel about a transgender jazz musician. Soon afterward, Oprah Winfrey devoted an episode of her show to transgender issues, and Genevieve Trusouix gave me a kiss on the mouth -- in a restaurant. In case you haven’t guessed, Genevieve (otherwise known as Geni) is a male-to-female transgender elder. I was embarrassed by that kiss. I wondered, “What if someone had recognized me?” Just as quickly, I realized how much courage it took Geni to face the world every day. My embarrassment suddenly seemed like small potatoes in comparison.
Becoming an Advocate
I also realized that I had to become an advocate for Geni. Too many people -- including older gay men -- have opinions about transgender people that date back to the 1960s and earlier, as mine did when I first met Geni. From that point on, I made sure SAGE/Milwaukee groups held numerous discussions about transgender issues so all our members could learn to understand that some people were born in the wrong bodies. Being transgender is not a choice. The learning continues.
Last year, Geni was granted Title V benefits, and she asked me if she could work at SAGE/Milwaukee. It would be a perfect opportunity for her to live publicly as a woman as part of her transitioning. When I agreed, Geni told me that when I met with Barbara, the supervisor from the Title V program, I could tell her that Geni would be working as herself, not as Bill, her male persona. Two days later, Geni informed Barbara of the same.
At first, Barbara said that there would be no problem, but when I met with her, she told me Geni would have to attend quarterly meetings as Bill because the Title V staff would not understand. After some thought, I realized that Genevieve should not have to stop being herself because someone else would not understand. So I called Barbara’s agency, and after some discussion, everyone agreed that the staff needed to be trained to understand this aspect of diversity.
Now Geni lives as Geni 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the staff at the Title V program is learning. And when you call SAGE/Milwaukee, Genevieve answers the phone. She knows that she is in a safe place. Sitting in the next room, I know that I still have a lot to learn. I also know that being an advocate is not a choice. I was born this way.
Bill Serpe is executive director of SAGE/Milwaukee, a social services and advocacy organization for LGBT older adults in Milwaukee.
Photo: Copyright © 1998 Mariette Pathy Allen; all rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009 American Society on Aging; all rights reserved. This article may not be duplicated or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher: American Society on Aging, 71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450, San Francisco, CA 94105-2938; e-mail: permissions@asaging.org.
