Elderly trans folk are preserving their stories in an adorable way
A new project is helping older members of the transgender community to find people to bond and share stories with.
Titled āThe Abundance Projectā, the venture is based on the idea of using Fowlers jars to preserve fruit and vegetables āwhen they are in abundance.ā
The idea behind it is so the food can be shared with others or kept for āleanerā times.
High Tea workshops in Victoria, Australia, are being set up to allow trans people to come together and make their preserves.
Itās being seen as a chance to share their stories and make new friends.
Some of the elders were asked about their day working with the project, along with their self-acceptance stories.
One participant, Sally Conning, said: āI pickled beetroot because itās one thing that Iāve loved all my life.
āI mightnāt have always loved myself but Iāve always loved beetroot.
āI realise now I donāt try to be anything other than myself.
āIām proud of myself,ā Sally added. āI found out who I am. I am the girl I want to be.ā
Another elder, Toni Paynter, said her favourite fruit to preserve was strawberries.
āThe red reminds me of my work at the Fire Museum, where I first started to realise I had a story to tell,ā she said.
āI donāt worry about peopleās expectations too much anymore.
āIām not ashamed of who I am any more. I feel free.ā
The Abundance Project was inspired by recent research that was conducted into the experiences of trans elders.
The research included a number of older trans people who discussed their experiences of ageing.
It was intended to be a resource for aged care providers to help trans people live openly and comfortably.
The Abundance Project organisers said: āWe heard from TGD (trans and gender diverse) people that alongside strategies to address rights violations, there is a need to affirm TGD identities and build hope.
āAbundance draws on the wisdom of TGD elders to document stories, and our wish is that this pantry of stories offers hope for TGD people as they age.ā
