Liminal transitions: Rethinking transgender journeys over time

Life course theory often views transitions as a linear progression of normative stages, but this perspective overlooks the fluidity and complexity of social change. In particular, transgender and gender non-conforming identities challenge the assumption that transition unfolds in discrete stages. Drawing on six exemplary cases in Portugal and the United Kingdom, this article highlights the temporal asynchrony, ambiguity and constantly evolving nature of gender transitions. Revisiting van Gennep’s notion of liminality, it shows how conventional life-course models fail to capture the recursive, context-dependent processes that often define trans experiences. Rather than viewing transition as a singular disruptive event that is resolved by conforming to a binary norm, we show that it is an open-ended space of negotiation in which identities are continually adapted to shifting socio-historical contexts. Empirical findings suggest that non-linearity is more common than traditional frameworks allow, revealing prolonged states of in-between, multiple trajectories of becoming and the persistent possibility of redefinition. We argue for expanding the analytical toolkit to include these uncharted dimensions of transition, thereby developing more inclusive and nuanced approaches to exploring diverse experiences at the margins of conventional life course theory. In doing so, this article opens up new ways of understanding how change itself can remain a persistent, liminal state.