Queer News Tonight anchor Rajee Narinesingh faced struggles throughout her life as a transgender woman, from workplace discrimination to the lasting effects of black market injections that scarred her face and caused chronic infections. In spite of the roadblocks, the 56-year-old Florida actress and activist has seen growing acceptance since she first came out decades ago. Now, as a wave of new state laws enacted this year limit transgender people’s rights, Narinesingh has new uncertainty about her own future as she ages. Most of the new state laws have focused attention on trans youth, with at least 22 states banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors. For many transgender seniors, it’s brought new fears to their plans for retirement and old age. Transgender adults say they’re worried about finding welcoming spaces to live in their later years. Discrimination can range from being denied housing to being misgendered and struggling to get nursing homes to acknowledge their visitation rights. About 171,000 of the more than 1.3 million transgender adults in the United States are aged 65 and older. The growing population has brought more services such as nursing homes and assisted living centers that are geared toward serving the LGBTQ+ community, though such facilities remain uncommon. They include Stonewall Gardens, a 24-apartment assisted living center that opened in Palm Springs, California in 2015.
