An Older Transgender Woman's Quest for Identity

Despite sensationalized media attention, transgender individuals are the most marginalized and misunderstood group in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The current article presents a case study of one woman's quest for identity. Narrative inquiry was used to analyze data from interview transcripts and four themes emerged during analysis: (a) naming the ambiguity, (b) revealing-concealing the authentic self, (c) discovering the transgender community, and (d) embracing the "T" identity. Lifespan and empowerment theories were used to harvest meanings from these themes. Implications for nursing practice and research were examined based on study findings. Participatory action research offers an approach for future studies in which researchers advocate for transgender individuals and remove obstacles to their health care access.