Transgender and non-binary (TNB) people are facing high levels of violence, harassment, discrimination, and family rejection. Because of the injustice, oppression, and inequalities, that TNB people are facing, social work needs to respond in order to provide help and support. Social workers may encounter TNB colleagues and clients within many areas of social work practice, such as family therapy, youth work, eldercare, and the homeless population. It is therefore essential that knowledge on this area as well as critical perspectives on gender, which go beyond cis-normativity, is developed. This chapter is guided by the following questions: What does the situation on TNB rights look like in a European context? What knowledge do we have on TNB experiences in relation to social work? What could we gain from letting critical transgender studies intersect with critical social work? How do we avoid cis-normative social work, and how can we work towards a TNB-affirmative social work practice?

Despite a growing transgender aging population with differing needs and care preferences, professional knowledge on gender identity and expression is still limited. This study examines Swedish social workers’ knowledge, experiences, and prerequisites for working with older transgender adults in municipal social services. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 16 social workers and the collected data were analysed using the content analysis method. The analysis is presented through three themes: Heteronormative Discourse, Causes and Consequences of Invisibility, and Terminology and Pronouns. The results indicate that the challenges in social work with older transgender adults are related to invisible needs, a lack of knowledge, and social services organizations that do not prioritize issues related to gender identity and expression. Implications for social work are suggested including a need for an increased reflective practice and a norm-critical approach, in order to grasp the older transgender individual’s specific experiences and needs, beyond stereotypical ideas and thoughts on sexual orientation. However, to be able to develop this reflective practice, institutional and organizational conditions for increased knowledge are required as well as an historical understanding of exclusion and a deeper attention to the meaning of equal treatment. Regarding future research it is suggested to examine the relevance and possible value of LGBTQ-certification.