Expectations through retrospective narratives of aging trans women’s encounters with the Swedish welfare state

Older transgender adults have lived through a period in which theirgender identities have been shamed, criminalised and pathologised.Research has highlighted the connection between previous experiencesof contact with the welfare state and concerns about similarexperiences in the future. Accordingly, this study aimed to examineolder trans women’s narratives of previous experiences with theSwedish welfare state from a life course perspective. The more specificaim was to analyse whether these experiences influence expectationsand concerns regarding future contact with welfare institutions.Interviews were carried out with eight older trans women aged 65–82years. The analysis focused on the narratives that emerged, with atheoretical framing of the life course perspective and trans temporality.The results are presented through three vignettes that illustrate variousexperiences of seeking support from the welfare state, as well as thepositive and negative aspects of this process. Further, the studyillustrates how these previous experiences can contribute toexpectations and concerns regarding potential future encounters withwelfare services. The study has important implications for social work, inthat it reveals the importance of understanding the consequences ofcisnormative history and how trans people have been subjected toinvisibility, shame and stigma.