Abstract
In the Conclusion, the author reflects on some of the new directions that narratives of queer aging are taking in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Having recently found their way into fresh formats, such as stream-TV shows (Transparent; Grace and Frankie), and thus reaching considerably larger audiences than before, representations of queer aging are entering yet a new phase. Hess argues that while current North American cultural imaginaries of aging are nevertheless still largely tied to heteronormative notions of “youthfulness” and “successful aging,” narratives of queer aging will remain pivotal in order to foster productive engagements with a topic that will only gain in significance in the years to come.
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- 1.
As much as any representations in TV shows and in film are ever “like us.” But the success of pretty much all of Hollywood is based on the fact that we identify with all kinds of protagonists, though they are usually “larger than life”—more beautiful, richer, more powerful, and smarter than anyone in the audience.
- 2.
Transparent is not the only appearance of an older trans-person. In 2014, Armistead Maupin’s last installment of his Tales of the City series, The Days of Anna Madrigal (2014) focuses largely on the story of an octogenarian trans-person. However, much of the narrative focuses on flashbacks to younger years. In spring 2015, former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner (formerly known as Bruce Jenner), widely known from the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, came out as transgender and started her own reality show I Am Cait! Jenner’s transition received a lot of attention on different media platforms, particularly on social media. Jenner has been a controversial figure within the trans-community. Margaret Gullette has criticized Jenner’s emphatic presentation of youthful femininity as obscuring age and aging (2015).
- 3.
Cis-actor Jeffrey Tambor, who played Maura Pfefferman in the first four seasons, will not return to the show for the upcoming fifth season after two of his co-workers spoke out about having been sexually harassed by him. However, it is telling that the show will keep going, and there is some hope that the trans-actors and actresses who have been part of the show in the past seasons will receive more central roles (Gonzales 2018).
- 4.
The Graying of AIDS (2010) focuses on multiple countries and on heterosexual as well as on LGBTQ persons who are HIV-positive, but within this scope it also does create a visibility for aging LGBTQ persons. It is a multidimensional documentary that includes an online database, photographic portraits, stories, interviews, and documentary videos.
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Hess, L.M. (2019). Conclusion: Ask What Queer Aging Can Do for You. In: Queer Aging in North American Fiction. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03466-5_10
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