Call For Submissions - Late Transition: Older Transmen Speak Out

[konnorcrewe]

Late Transition: Older TransMen Speak Out
Edited by Konnor Crewe

Call for Submissions
Trans men who come out in their 40s, 50s and 60s face different issues than those who are transitioning earlier in life. Late Transition: Older TransMen Speak Out is a collection of stories by men transitioning later in life that explores many issues (health, aging, family, religion, children/fatherhood, elder care, to name some) which are largely absent from most transgender support systems, books, and conferences. If you are over 40 and you have experienced difficulty in your late transition, then you are welcome to send a story for consideration. The book will highlight and explore these issues in their complexity and open up a long overdue conversation about the way older trans navigate gender transitioning and life in general. The collection will also be a companion resource of advice and support to older transmen. Transgress Press will be publishing the anthology.

Q: Should I send my story? Are you an older Transman? Read the FAQ here:
http://www.transgenderlifecoach.org/transgress-press-anthology-project-faq/
Visit the editor's webpage here:
http://www.transgenderlifecoach.org/late-transition-and-the-older-transman/

Join the Writing Workshop on Facebook and tell your story.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/eldertransbrothers/

Submit your stories to eldertransbrothers@gmail.com by January 31st, 2015. The word count limitation is 2500.

Writing Prompts
We encourage stories which relate to, but are not limited to:

Loss of Time & Opportunities
Have you experienced losses related to adolescence and young adulthood? If so, what kinds of losses have you experienced? Have you been able to allow yourself to have some of those experiences of youth and adulthood? If so, how have you allowed yourself to have some of these experiences in later life? How do you deal with the fact that you have less time to transition than those who come out in their 20s?

Sex, Love and the Older Guy
Have you been able to find love and romance after 40? Can you give hope to other guys about love and romance after 40? Tell us your story about finding love later in life. How do you approach dating or finding a partner? Do you feel sexy?

How Have You Found Age Appropriate Support?
Have you found supportive groups in your area? Where have you found the appropriate support for your age group or life stage? What kind of support do these groups offer you? How do these groups differ from those that do not address issues for men in your age group?

Relationships with Younger Trans People
How does it feel to attend a transgender support group with mostly young trans guys? Do younger men refer to you with terms of endearment like "pops" or "grandpa"? How does this make you feel? Do you conceive of yourself with regard to younger guys: brother, mentor, something else?

Finding Our Way
How did you find your support in the time that you transitioned? Did you have a vocabulary for trans when you were growing up? How did you first find your vocabulary for describing who you are? Who were your heroes and role models during those time periods? Were there any particular books or role models who informed your transition? I'm looking for period pieces and a perspective on multiple time periods i.e. 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s before the present day.

Cultural Baggage
If you came out late in life, what sorts of cultural baggage delayed your transition? How did you work your way through multiple obstacles (e.g., racism, migrant discrimination, class inequality, etc.), baggage (e.g., religion) and personal negative messages to get to the point where you could transition? Did you have to change your spirituality or values before you transitioned? How have you dealt with issues of traditional religion and transition? Are there any particular cultural influences in your life that have caused delays in your transition because of having to work through cultural and family issues?

Disclosure
How is your experience as an older family member different in your disclosing to older family members who were not open? Do you have funny stories about coming out to older family members? Do you have examples of older family members who were really cool about your transition? Have there been family members or friends who could not understand your decision because of the generation you came from?

Prioritizing Our Needs
Are you or have you dealt with health issues since transitioning? If you have a chronic health condition, how have you dealt with your health condition in relationship to your transition? How have these health issues affected your transition? Have they played a role in your ability to set goals for transition? If so, explain how. Have you had to prioritize your health issues over pursuing your transition (e.g. have you had to postpone surgeries and hormones because of your health issues)? Have health issues prevented you from getting hormonal transition or GRS?

Long Term Care & Chronic Illnesses
Do you think about long-term elder care? Do you have plans on how you'll handle your long-term elder care? What are your fears about long-term elder care? Are you afraid of de-transitioning during dementia? Where would you feel most comfortable and safe as a trans man needing elder care?

About the Editor
Konnor Crewe is the Workshop Manager for First Event Transgender Conference (http://www.firstevent.org/) in the Boston Massachusetts area from 2012 to the present. Konnor has a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and works as a Life Coach for Under the Umbrella Life Coaching.