AARP GA PANEL ON AGING

She was delighted to have been invited by her friend and colleague Gabrielle Claiborne from Transformation Journeys Worldwide to participate in such an important conversation June 8, 2022

AARP GA convened the distinguished panel to educate their members from all across the United States about the joys, challenges and impact seasoned Trans, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary people experience while aging.

Their purpose for the conversation was to also assess what their members can do to become better allies for our community. 

 POSED  PANEL QUESTIONS:

• What's a universal lesson that you've learned later in life?
• What are some joys and challenges you've experienced?
• What can AARP Members do to be better allies?

Tracee's Responses:

    1. I've  learned very early on to be myself, no matter what. So, when I was Eighteen years old back in the day when I was hosting at a seafood restaurant Shrimp & Co on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Two weeks after being hired, I stopped off at the Mall on my way home from work one Friday after to shop in the Women’s Department at JC Penney for an outfit for the club that weekend, and never looked backward from that moment forward.

The macho Italian Rocko restaurant owner and the staff didn’t blink an eye, and we all supported each other, regularly hung out and partied together outside of work.

My workplace experiences throughout my life have been opposite some Trans people, because admittedly, I’ve been blessed with “Passing Privilege”. Not easily Clock-able to the untrained eye.

2. JOYS In addition to laying down the law with other family members about not messing with her children, my mother’s unconditional love and support has made it possible for me to be who I am today. 

At times unaware earlier on, I’ve always had a strong foundation and no matter how many Gender Identity challenges we’d dealt with during my formative years, my Mother Bear never kicked me out of our family home to the WOLVES and PREDATORS out in those streets.     

3.  Practice the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated.