Maria (pseudonym) is a transgender woman born and raised in Portugal during the Estado Novo, a repressive regime that harshly discriminated against LGBTQIA+ people. Maria is currently 65 years old and started her transition in her early 50 s. This study aims to examine Maria’s life trajectory and how she accomplished her (late) coming out and (happy) transition.
The authors adopted McAdams’ (1985) methodology for analyzing life stories, which divides a person’s life into chapters.
Maria identified four chapters in her life trajectory: (a) “‘Who am I?’ A childhood and adolescence of secrecy and self-doubt”; (b) “Finding comfort in conforming to cis/heteronormativity”; (c) “Coming out: A sense of relief and authenticity”; and (d) “‘Finally being who I am’—a woman respected and satisfied with life.” Maria’s awareness of her “finite lifespan” and “time left” influenced her coming out and transition. Her constraints earlier in life heightened the significance and immediacy of time horizons and the opportunity to experience an authentic gender identity before she dies.
This study uniquely highlights age as a privilege in the transgender transition process, showing how awareness of a finite lifespan can drive late-life coming out and transition. Maria’s story challenges traditional aging narratives, demonstrating resilience and the potential for finding meaning and purpose, despite lifelong adversity.
