Year of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Major
Sociology
Directing Professor
Ashleigh Breske
Abstract
As popular media disseminates harmful “culture war” rhetoric regarding trans folk it has become increasingly necessary to amplify their voices to give them power over how they are perceived by society. Though political discourse regarding trans children has become a hot-button topic, this paper seeks to explore the overlooked experiences of trans elders as they contend with intersecting instances of ageism and transphobia from individuals and institutions in Roanoke, Virginia. Since community-based organizations like the Roanoke Diversity Center and Ladies and Gents of the Blue Ridge have been instrumental to strengthening the LGBTQ+ community in Roanoke, this research focuses on their contributions, as well as the challenges they face, to meeting the unique social and medical needs of trans elders. To enlighten us, interviews with prominent elder trans activists have been conducted and dissected to reveal how we might cultivate empowering spaces for trans folk of all ages.
Recommended Citation
Allison, Summer Skye, "Fostering Inclusivity and Resilience: Challenges to Community-Based Empowerment for Trans Elders in Roanoke, Virginia" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Theses, Hollins University. 57.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/ughonors/57
Included in
Community-Based Learning Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Gerontology Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Regional Sociology Commons