By Angela K. Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA–
In late 2024, my research team at the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services (CASAS) at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare met Chicharita, an older transgender Latina immigrant in California. We were in the middle of a large focus group study to learn about challenges and supports among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, same-gender loving, asexual, and intersex (LGBTQIA+) older adults in California. Building off a recent survey of LGBTQIA+ older Californians, the focus group study aimed to elevate voices of hard-to-reach and underserved LGBTQIA+ aging communities.
Chicharita told us that she originally moved to Southern California to escape violence from another country several decades ago where she had worked in a shop from 7 am to 11 pm. She was paid in bus fare and food alone. She did not speak English at the time.
When she told her brother she was gay, he kicked her out of his house. She had to sleep on the streets alone. She turned to drugs and alcohol and engaged in survival sex. She subsequently tested positive for HIV. She told us that when she learned she had HIV, she wanted to die. She contemplated suicide several times. In a recent survey of LGBTQIA+ older Californians, more than 18% of transgender and gender expansive older women reported serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (compared to 10% of cisgender LGBQIA+ older adults). A national survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that trans people were nine times more likely to report attempted suicide in their lifetime than the general population (41% versus 4.6%).
But she survived. And with the help of compassionate community organizations, trained healthcare providers, and community connectors, she has thrived. She subsequently got connected with counselors, therapists, psychologists, and doctors who supported her. Nonprofit organizations helped her resolve issues regarding her immigration status, and she is now a proud U.S. citizen. She has become a community leader and supports others who are struggling.
But Chicharita also added a cautionary note: “Our lives are in danger. People insult us as we walk down the street. People tried to bully me a few days ago. Instead of helping me, people attacked me. We are going through a very difficult situation.” In a recent California survey, approximately 15% of transgender older adults reported living in a community that was unsafe for transgender people (compared to 10% of cisgender LGBQIA+ older adults). Transgender older adults had the highest percentages of not reporting abusive or threatening situations compared to any other group in this survey.
Chicharita’s experience is not unique. We talked to 37 transgender older adults throughout California who shared similar stories of challenges regarding their health, housing, safety, and employment. Many also talked about the essential social, economic, and health supports they received from community organizations, gender-affirming providers, and other transgender older adults.
But that’s not enough. Transgender communities are under attack. Currently, 920 anti-trans bills have been introduced across the United States—in 2025 alone. California has six anti-trans bills pending. Policies that limit gender-affirming care impact transgender older adults, many of whom have transitioned later in life. Cuts to the VA (The Department of Veterans Affairs) affect transgender older adults, who are twice as likely as all adults to have served in the U.S. military, according to the Williams Institute. Cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, and HUD (The Department of Housing and Urban Development) dramatically reduce the safety nets for low-income transgender older adults and many nonprofit organizations’ capacity to assist.
Recent federal cuts to social service agencies, support programs, and healthcare for low-income people, immigrants, and older adults are devastating many people across the United States, including transgender older adults. And more are likely coming. California policymakers, however, can make a difference to raise awareness and education about these issues.
Senator John Laird recently formed a Select Committee on Older LGBTQIA+ Californians, which provides an important first step. A Select Committee is a temporary legislative committee created for a special purpose. It can host hearings that can elevate voices often left unheard. It can spark opportunities to convene transgender older adults, service providers, researchers, and government leaders to discuss important issues that are otherwise left unexamined. It can raise awareness about some of the complex and often deeply troubling challenges facing transgender older Californians—and the solutions to move forward.
We are at an important social, political, and economic moment in California (and throughout the United States) to elevate voices, awareness, and support for transgender older Californians. Let’s not miss this moment.
Note: All comments expressed in this piece reflect those made in the author’s personal capacity and do not represent the views of the University of California.
Angela K. Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA, is the Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services. She is also an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare.
Aging in Community
Published on June 26, 2025
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