
LGBTQ INFORMATION NETWORK │ RAINBOW OF RESOURCES
SENIORS
LGBTQ Seniors: The Joy of
Being Out
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an Older LGBTQ Person
Queer Elders and Lessons
Learned: AIDS Crisis and Coronavirus
92 Year Old Granddad Comes
Out: Tells 70 Year Old Love Story
Sir Ian McKellen: Pride in
Ageing Program to Help LGBTQ Seniors
Shatzi
Weisberger:
What I Want
for My 90th
Birthday
SAGE
Project:
True Story
Behind the
Stonewall
Rebellion

LGBTQ Elders
Show
Resiliency
Despite
Barriers
AARP Pride:
LGBTQ
Advocates
See Hurdles
Ahead
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
50 Years After Stonewall: Stories of
LGBTQ Elders
Life After
Fifty as a Gay Man
LGBTQ Senior
Experience
Ageing in
Equity: LGBTQ
Elders in
America
LGBTQ Ageing:
A Question
of Identity
Story Corps: Two Retired Vets Celebrate
Love
Gen Silent: LGBTQ Ageing Documentary
Now You See Me: Film About Group of
Elder Lesbians
Gray Gays: Ageing as an LGBTQ Adult
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
Advocate:
Portraits of LGBTQ Seniors
Video Talk: Old Gays Share Their Coming
Out Stories
Old Lesbians
Organizing for Change
Video: Silent Pioneers
Ageing as LGBTQ
"Those
were the days my friend. We thought
they'd never end. We'd sing and dance
forever and a day. We'd live the life we
choose. We'd fight and never lose. For
we were young and sure to have our way."
-Mary Hopkin, 1968 Song
LGBTQ elders face many challenges as
they age. A lifetime of discrimination,
lost wages, lack of family recognition,
and more add up to create substantial
difficulties for most LGBTQ seniors.
America’s population is ageing: by 2050,
the number of people over the age of 65
will double to 83.7 million (from 43.1
million in 2012). While the public
perception of LGBTQ people is largely
one of a young, affluent community,
there are more than 2.7 million LGBTQ
adults ages 50 or older living in
communities across the country, one in
five of whom are older adults of color.
A new report released in May 2017 by the
Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and
SAGE, Understanding Issues Facing
LGBTQ Older Adults, provides a
snapshot of the demographics of LGBTQ
elders, an ageing community that is
diverse in terms of race and ethnicity,
gender, and age.

The report details the many challenges
facing LGBTQ older people as they age.
Health and wellbeing, economic security,
and social connections are among the
cornerstones for successful ageing, yet
these are areas in which many LGBTQ
elders face substantial
barriers stemming from current
discrimination as well as the
accumulation of a lifetime of legal and
structural discrimination, social
stigma, and isolation.
The report offers high-level
recommendations for addressing key
disparities facing LGBTQ older adults
including:
--Passing comprehensive employment and
housing nondiscrimination protections
prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity.
--Ensuring that all senior housing,
assisted living, and nursing homes have
explicit nondiscrimination policies and
train staff on competently serving LGBTQ
elders.
--Revising federal and state programs to
recognize the relationships of same-sex
couples in which one partner died before
the freedom to marry became available.
--Designating LGBTQ elders as an
underserved population within the Older
Americans Act and within the Department
of Health and Human Services, allowing
government agencies to more easily
target services
--Passing the Restoration of Honor Act
to make veterans discharged because of
their sexual orientation or gender
identity eligible for a number of
programs, services, and benefits
available at the state level.
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
Ageism Takes Heavy Toll on LGBTQ Seniors
Gail and Audrey: Unexpected Love Story
Things
Older Adults Can Do to Stay Connected
and Overcome Isolation
Advocate: Politics of Caring for Our
Queer Elders
Bisexual Elders
Resources for Transgender
Seniors
97 Year Old Gay Veteran Attacked While Helping Someone
on the Street
Black and
Gay in New
Orleans in
the 60s
LGBTQ Elders
Show
Resiliency
Despite
Barriers
Advocate:
No One Will Care for LGBTQ Seniors But
Themselves
Then and Now: Older Lesbians Share Their
Stories
Life After
Fifty for a
Gay Man

Video Talk:
Old Gays
Share Their
Coming Out
Stories
AARP Pride:
LGBTQ
Advocates
See Hurdles
Ahead
Elder Lesbians Give Advice to Young
Lesbians
LGBTQ Senior
Experience
Ageing in
Equity: LGBTQ
Elders in
America
Video Talk: Together for 54 Wonderful
Years
Gen Silent: LGBTQ Ageing Documentary
Photos:
Trans Elders
Who Have
Survived
LGBTQ Ageing:
A Question
of Identity
Story Corps: Two Retired Vets Celebrate
Love
University of North Dakota: Resources
for the Ageing LGBTQ Community
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
Same Sex Couples Tell Us What it's Like
to be Legally Married
Advocate:
Portraits of LGBTQ Seniors
Never Have I Ever: Elder Gay Men Having
Fun
Report on LGBTQ Ageing
The
Williams Institute at the UCLA School of
Law published a report, entitled, "LGBTQ
Aging: A review of research findings,
needs, and policy implications."
This report, authored by Soon Kyu Choi
and Ilan H. Meyer, reviews current
research on LGBTQ older adults and
provides recommendations for future
research and policies that would address
the needs of LGBTQ seniors. Here is a
summary of their findings:
--LGBTQ older adults face barriers to
receiving formal health care and social
support that heterosexual, cisgender
adults do not.
--Financial instability and legal issues
are major concerns among LGBTQ seniors.
--LGBTQ older adults should be
recognized by the Older Americans Act as
a “greatest social need” group.
This report is a review of the existing
literature of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer older adults and
provides recommendations for future
research and policy needs.
Although definitions vary, LGBTQ older
adults include the population of sexual
and gender minorities over the age of
50. With no census count available of
LGBTQ older adults residing in the
United States, investigators have used
various methods to estimate the size of
the population. One study estimates that
there are over 2.4 million LGBTQ adults
over age 50 in the United States, with
the expectations that this number will
double to over 5 million by 2030.
Another study estimated that there are
between 1.75 to 4 million LGBTQ adults
above age 60. Without a national
probability sample, accurate
characterization of this population is
difficult. However, numerous
community-based, non-probability studies
provide invaluable insight into the
experiences of LGBTQ older adults and
show that LGBTQ older adults face unique
challenges to aging that their
heterosexual, cisgender peers do not.
Key findings from this review include
the following:

Social Disparities
LGBTQ older adults face barriers to
receiving formal health care and social
support that heterosexual, cisgender
adults do not. Several studies report
LGBTQ older adults avoid or delay health
care, or conceal their sexual and gender
identity from health providers and
social service professionals for fear of
discrimination due to their sexual
orientation and gender identity.
Compared
to heterosexual cisgender adults, LGBTQ
older adults have fewer options for
informal care. LGBTQ older adults are
more likely to be single or living alone
and less likely to have children to care
for them than non-LGBTQ elders. Studies
find resilient LGBTQ older adults often
rely on “families of choice” (families
composed of close friends), LGBTQ
community organizations, and affirmative
religious groups for care and support.
Financial instability and legal issues
are major concerns among LGBTQ seniors.
Lifetime disparities in earnings,
employment, and opportunities to build
savings as well as discriminatory access
to legal and social programs that are
traditionally established to support
aging adults, put LGBTQ older adults at
greater financial risk than their
non-LGBTQ peers.
LGBTQ older adults have experienced and
continue to experience discrimination
due to their sexual orientation and
gender identity. Studies find LGBTQ
older adults experienced high rates of
lifetime discrimination and physical and
verbal abuse in relation to their sexual
and gender minority identity. One study
found that LGBTQ seniors searching for
retirement homes experienced unfavorable
differential treatment (less housing
availability, higher pricing) compared
to non-LGBTQ seniors.

Health Disparities
LGBTQ
older adults have worse mental and
physical health compared to heterosexual
and cisgender older adults.
LGBTQ
older adults have higher risks of mental
health issues, disability, and higher
rates of disease and physical
limitations than their heterosexual
counterparts. Compared to their
cisgender peers, transgender older
adults also face a higher risk for poor
physical health, disability, and
depressive symptoms, many of which are
associated with experiences of
victimization and stigma.
Studies also find that
LGBTQ
older adults have a higher prevalence of
engaging in risky health behavior, such
as smoking, excessive alcohol
consumption, and risky sexual behavior
compared to non-LGBTQ
older adults. However,
LGBTQ
older adults have higher rates of HIV
testing than non-LGBTQ
seniors.
Among
LGBTQ
older adults, HIV-positive
LGBTQ
elders have worse overall mental and
physical health, disability, and poorer
health outcomes, and a higher likelihood
of experiencing stressors as well as
barriers to care, than HIV-negative
LGBTQ
elders.

Future Research and Policy Needs
While community-based, non-probability
studies provide important insight, they
may not accurately represent the
LGBTQ
older adult population.
Probability-based studies are needed to
accurately characterize this population
and generalize findings. Only two
studies in this review used
representative samples (both studies
used state-level data) to characterize
LGBTQ
older adults. To our knowledge, no
probability sample of transgender older
adults exists.
Subgroups within the
LGBTQ
older adult population are understudied.
In particular, we know little about
bisexual, transgender, and
intersectional subgroups (older Black
lesbians; Latina transwomen). Age-group
specific analysis is also needed to
provide better-targeted interventions.
From a policy perspective,
LGBTQ
older adults need to be recognized by
the Older Americans Act (OAA) as a
“greatest social need” group. This
designation would open important funding
avenues to prioritize services for and
research of
LGBTQ
older adults. Other policy needs
important to
LGBTQ
older adults are anti-discrimination
legislation and expanding the definition
of family to include families of choice.
LGBTQ
older adults are a growing population
likely in need of more frequent health
care and social support. From a service
perspective, culturally sensitive
training for health care and social
service agencies and professionals that
provide support to elders could be
critical in alleviating expectations of
and experiences of discrimination that
many
LGBTQ
older adults fear when seeking
healthcare and professional help.
[Source: Williams Institute, UCLA School
of Law, 2012]
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
LGBTQ Elders
Show
Resiliency
Despite
Barriers
AARP Pride:
LGBTQ
Advocates
See Hurdles
Ahead
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
50 Years After Stonewall: Stories of
LGBTQ Elders
Life After
Fifty as a Gay Man
LGBTQ Senior
Experience
Ageing in
Equity: LGBTQ
Elders in
America
LGBTQ Ageing:
A Question
of Identity
Story Corps: Two Retired Vets Celebrate
Love
Gen Silent: LGBTQ Ageing Documentary
Now You See Me: Film About Group of
Elder Lesbians
Gray Gays: Ageing as an LGBTQ Adult
Advocate:
Portraits of LGBTQ Seniors
Video Talk: Old Gays Share Their Coming
Out Stories
Old Lesbians
Organizing for Change
Video: Silent Pioneers

LGBTQ
Seniors Overcoming Social Isolation
What
can LGBTQ older adults do to stayed
connected and overcome social isolation
during a time when a major pandemic has
made quarantine necessary and social
isolation even more commonplace? Whether
hunkered down with the nuclear family, a
spouse, or roommates, practically
everyone is feeling the pinch of
curtailed interactions and relationships
that are confined to the phone and video
conferencing. Social isolation is a
health risk for all seniors, especially
older LGTBQ people. It is important to
find resources to empower you to fight
it.
But for older adults, the pandemic only
made an existing problem worse. The CDC
has called social isolation in older
adults a serious public health risk. “It
actually increases your risk of early
death from all causes,” Dr. Erwin Tan,
director of health and thought
leadership at AARP, noted on a recent
AARP Town Hall for the LGBTQ community.
“Some people say it’s as bad as smoking
15 cigarettes a day.”

And
social isolation is an even bigger issue
for LGBTQ elders. According to
“Maintaining Dignity: Understanding and
Responding to the Challenges Facing
Older LGBTQ Americans,” a survey
conducted by AARP, increasing social
support is a major challenge. That’s
particularly true of gay men and
transgender/gender-expansive
individuals. Gay men in the survey were
far more likely to be single and living
alone compared to lesbians and reported
being less connected than lesbians on
every relationship type tested,
including friends, partners, and
neighbors. Transgender people were the
least likely of all to be connected to
sources of social support.
However, there are resources available
to help older adults recognize and
overcome social isolation. These
resources work particularly well for a
community that has relied upon
self-empowerment in its quest for
liberation, by allowing individuals to
take better control over their lives and
ensure themselves the social support
they need.
Here
are some helpful tips from AARP to help
address social isolation:
AARP: Connect2Affect Assessment
Assess how connected you are.
Knowing where you are are in terms of a
support network at the moment helps you
understand where you need to be. Just
how strong is your social support
system? It may not be as strong as you
think. The AARP Foundation offers a
short assessment as part of its
Connect2Affect program to help you
identify problem areas.

AARP: Friendly Voices Program
Talk
to someone. A conversation can go a
long way to alleviating a sense of
loneliness. Don’t discount the power of
an online community as well. Even if you
are staying at home most of the time,
you don’t have to be cut off from other
people. AARP offers their Friendly
Voice program, that allows you to
request a phone conversation from a
trained volunteer.
AARP:
The Mighty Community for Healthcare
Challenges
Be
aware of how your health affects your
social connections. Isolation is a
major issue for people with physical
limitations that affect mobility.
Hearing loss and visual impairment may
also be contributors. AARP offers their
The Mighty program, which is a
safe, supportive online community for
people facing health challenges and
their caregivers.

AARP: Volunteer Opportunity Board
Be a volunteer. Maybe you’re
feeling isolated but you don’t have the
physical limitations that keep you at
home most of the time. If you’re
physically able, you can consider
volunteering. During the pandemic, there
are volunteer opportunities that require
only a telephone or laptop that will
still keep you connected. It’s a great
way to meet people, stay active, get
involved in the community, and to put
your experience to good use. AARP has a
Volunteer Opportunity Board that
tells you about organizations in your
area that lets you share your experience
and interests with groups that could use
your help. LGBTQ organizations also rely
heavily on volunteers to keep them
going. Consider reaching out to see what
you can do to help your community and
you will be enriched beyond measure in
return.
[Source:
LGBTQ Nation Magazine and AARP LGBTQ
Foundation]
 |
Older Wiser Lesbians
An OWL is an older wiser lesbian. This
acronym, used informally to describe
elderly gay women, is a slang expression
referring to experienced lesbians who
have personal insight of the history of
the LGBTQ movement. Typically, it is a
term meant as an expression of respect.
Around the country, there are local
social groups and support groups
for elderly gay women called OWL clubs
or organizations. And there is a 2010
movie entitled "The Owls," about a group
of senior lesbians.
|
 |
Honor
Our LGBTQ Elders
National
Honor Our LGBT Elders Day is celebrated
annually on May 16. It was established
to draw awareness to and appreciation of
the lifetime of contributions made by LGBTQ
older adults.
National Honor Our LGBTQ Elders Day
works to unite the LGBTQ community and
its allies to celebrate and thank those
individuals who fought on behalf of us
all.
The idea for this special day was
conceived in 2016, by the LGBTQ Health
Resource Center of Chase Brexton Health
Care, in Baltimore, Maryland. It
first
opened its doors in 1978 as a clinic
focused exclusively on the health care
of gay men, a revolutionary and
much-needed concept for its time.
|
 |
Danish Gay Activists
Axel Axgil (1915-2011) and Eigil Axgil
(1922-1995) were Danish gay activists
and a longtime couple. They were the
first gay couple to enter into a
registered partnership anywhere in the
world following Denmark's legalization
of same-sex partnership registration in
1989, a landmark legislation which they
were instrumental in bringing about.
They adopted the shared surname, Axgil,
a combination of their given names, as
an expression of their commitment. In
1948 they established the Danish
National Association of Gays and
Lesbians, Denmark's first gay rights
organization. In 1989, Denmark became
the first nation in the world to
recognize registered partnerships for
same-sex couples, nearly equal to
(opposite-sex) marriage.
|
National Honor Our LGBTQ Elders Day
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Video:
Silent
Pioneers
Old Lesbians
Organizing
for Change
LGBTQ Ageing:
A Question
of Identity
Resources
for Transgender Seniors
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
What is Was Like Being Gay in the 1940s
Elder Lesbians Try New Lesbian Slang
Never Have I Ever: Elder Gay Men Having
Fun
Story Corps: Two Retired Vets Celebrate
Love
Young Gay Illeagal: Then and Now
Elderly Gay Man Recalls His Visit to a
Psychologist in 1948
Bill and John: More Than Ever
Advocate:
Portraits of LGBTQ Seniors

Ageing Back Into the Closet
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
queer older adults are pioneers who
bravely pushed open the doors to coming
out. It is unconscionable that many of
these leaders of social justice are
forced to retreat into the closet as
they age. The troubling reality is that
the US lacks a complete understanding of
the LGBTQ senior community and is
particularly unprepared for the needs of
LGBTQ older adults at the intersection
of multiple disadvantaged populations,
such as LGBTQ seniors who are people of
color, disabled, living with HIV/AIDS,
undocumented immigrants or
socioeconomically marginalized. Many
LGBTQ seniors fear that the health-care
system is judgmental and have
experienced discriminatory care or lack
access to culturally competent ageing
services. To address this crisis, the US
must adopt a new perspective that
emphasizes health, rather than just
health care. All sectors of society must
come together with a renewed sense of
social responsibility that focuses on
social determinants of health. They
need to adopt a holistic view of
everyday factors that impact the health,
economic and social well-being of LGBTQ
seniors.
Eliminating LGBTQ health disparities and
providing more personal and equitable
care to LGBTQ populations depends on
overcoming a primary obstacle: Many
LGBTQ patients are uncomfortable
discussing sexual orientation or gender
identity with health-care providers, and
many providers need training on these
discussions. Consequently, LGBTQ
patients often forgo prevention
screenings or seek care late in their
illnesses or diseases, and clinicians
lack information that helps in making a
diagnosis and recommending treatment.

Research has found that more than one
fifth of LGBTQ older adults have not
disclosed their sexual orientation or
gender identity status to their primary
physician. Almost 20 percent of lesbian,
gay, and bisexual seniors and more than
50 percent of transgender seniors fear
that they will be treated differently,
and almost 35 percent of lesbian, gay,
and bisexual seniors and more than 60
percent of transgender seniors have
encountered a health-care provider who
was unaware of their health needs. These
factors contribute to LGBTQ adults (24
percent) being more likely than
heterosexuals (18 percent) to receive
services in emergency rooms.
Medical care influences only about 10
percent of health status. The truly
powerful determinants are genetics,
behaviors and social circumstances. For
many LGBTQ seniors, numerous factors
complicate the path to health security,
such as low likelihood of biological
family assistance during health crises,
lack of health insurance or same-sex
partner retiree benefits, low incomes
and high rates of poverty, geographic
locations without LGBTQ-welcoming
support systems, and social isolation
for those who are single, live alone or
do not have children. Addressing these
determinants is critical to finding
sustainable solutions for responding to
LGBTQ older adults' health needs. There
are inspiring examples of upstream
approaches to addressing the health
needs of the LGBTQ senior community.
They represent advancement of social
justice for the LGBTQ community, yet we
have more to do. We have what it takes:
skills, knowledge, caring, determination
and, most importantly, a passion for
doing the right thing. Now is the time
for all members of society to come
together to help prevent LGBTQ older
adults from ageing back into the closet.
[Source: Claire Pomeroy, Lasker
Foundation, January 2014]

LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
What it's Like to be Older, Gay,
Unmarried
Elderly Gay
WWII Veteran
Attacked and
Robbed
Never Have I
Ever: Elder
Gay Men
Having Fun
Ageism Takes Heavy Toll on LGBTQ Seniors
Video Talk:
Together for
54 Wonderful
Years
90 Year Old
Man Reveals
Long
Struggle
With Coming
Out
Improving
the Lives of
LGBTQ Older
Adults
Same Sex
Couples Tell
Us What it's
Like to be
Legally
Married
Things Older
Adults Can
Do to Stay
Connected
and Overcome
Isolation
PBS: Finding
Care For
LGBTQ Seniors
HRC:
Honoring
LGBTQ Elders
Day
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
Never Have I Ever: Elder Lesbians Having
Fun
Advocate:
No One Will Care for LGBTQ Seniors But
Themselves
Elder Lesbians Share Coming Out Stories
Resources
for
Transgender
Seniors
APA Info:
LGBTQ Ageing
Facts
Life After
Fifty for a
Gay Man
Mosaic:
Older Gay
Couples
Documentary
Gray Gays:
Ageing as an LGBTQ Adult
Richard and John: Elderly Couple
LGBTQ Conference on Ageing
Gay seniors, like seniors in general,
worry about safe housing, good health
care and having enough money in
retirement. But according to those who
attended the first White House
conference devoted to gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender, and queer ageing,
held at the University of Miami in May
2012, they also face unique obstacles
because of discrimination, health-care
inequities and fear of retaliation. The
White House LGBTQ Conference on Ageing
was the first-ever conference dedicated
to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and queer (LGBTQ) ageing issues.
Sponsored by SAGE (Services and Advocacy
for GLBT Elders), it was hosted by The
White House Office of Public Engagement,
in partnership with the University of
Miami Center on Ageing. It met at the
University of Miami Miller School of
Medicine, where it provided advocates,
community leaders, and members of the
public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on the health,
housing, and security needs of ageing
members of the LGBTQ community.

Elderly LGBTQ People
Despite advances in LGBTQ civil rights,
many older adult care providers never
stop to consider that their older
clients may be lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). And
sometimes those who do know may not know
how to provide services in
culturally-sensitive ways. As a result,
LGBTQ older adults often avoid seeking
needed services out of fear of
discrimination. The tendency for LGBTQ
older adults to go "back in the closet"
is particularly pronounced in situations
where they are most vulnerable, such as
when accessing home health care or
residing in assisted living or
residential care facilities. One study
indicated that LGBTQ older adults may be
as much as five times less likely to
access needed health and social services
because of their fear of discrimination
from the very people who should be
helping them.
This type of social isolation has an
enormous impact in the health and
well-being of LGBTQ older adults. With
LGBTQ older adults twice as likely to
live alone than heterosexual older
adults, more than four times as likely
to have no children, the informal
caregiving support we assume is in place
for older adults may not be there for
LGBTQ elders. LGBTQ people face a
number of particular challenges as they
age. They often do not have access to
adequate health care, affordable housing
and other social services that they need
due to institutionalized heterosexism
and transphobia. Mainstream senior
providers have limited information or
training in how to appropriately work
with and serve our diverse communities.
Existing regulations and proposed policy
changes in programs like Social Security
or Medicare, which impact millions of
LGBTQ elders, are discussed without
LGBTQ views and interests as part of the
debate.
LGBTQ Elders Show Resiliency Despite
Barriers
Video Talk: Old Gays Share Their Coming
Out Stories
Older Queer Voices: The Intimacy of
Survival
Sage Advice to Young Queers From a Gay
Elder
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
Elder Lesbians Try New Lesbian Slang
AARP Pride: LGBTQ Advocates See Hurdles
Ahead
Gen Silent: LGBTQ Ageing Documentary
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
Bill and John: More Than Ever
Old Lesbians
Organizing for Change
Ageing in Equity: LGBTQ Elders in America
LGBTQ Ageing: A Question of Identity
Wellness Challenges of LGBTQ Seniors
There are many challenges faced by the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and
Queer elderly community. Family and
support networks can be critical to the
wellbeing of the elderly. Due to
homophobia and other factors, LGBTQ
elderly may not have strong ties to
traditional social support networks such
as adult children to provide care,
extended family or faith-based support,
and frequently end up relying on friends
and service agencies.
A recent Met Life survey noted that 27%
of LGBTQ baby boomers reported great
concern about discrimination as they age
and less than half expressed strong
confidence that they will be treated
“with dignity and respect” by healthcare
professionals. Financial challenges
include inability to transfer assets
such as social security, Medicare,
Medicaid and pensions to the surviving
partner. The same Met Life survey
indicated that 51% of LGBTQ Baby Boomers
indicated they have yet to complete
wills that spell out their long term and
end of life wishes. This is of concern
since LGBTQ partnerships frequently are
not recognized legally in matters of
health care decisions and finances.
Gay and Lesbian Association of Retiring
Persons
Care and Ageing With Pride
SAGE: Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ
Elders
Never Have I Ever: Elder Gay Men Having
Fun
LGBTQ Ageing Project
National Resource Center on LGBTQ Ageing
Center for American Progress: Protecting
our LGBTQ Elders
University of North Dakota: Resources
for the Ageing LGBTQ Community
Resources
for Transgender Seniors
Richard and John: Elderly Couple
Gray Gays: Ageing as an LGBTQ Adult
Elder Lesbians Watch Hayley Kiyoko
Message for LGBTQ Seniors
If any of you are at least 50 or older,
you, along with me, can remember how
important it was to keep your gay
secret. Of course, before the 70's there
weren't any polite words like gay. All
the standard insults were there. Being
homosexual was the epitome of perversion
and degradation. It was something never
spoken of in any type of polite or
common conversation. For example,
before the early 70's, New York had a
law that prohibited any bar or club from
serving alcohol to a homosexual. Of
course, most gay men passed easily.
Imagine not being able to legally get a
drink in a public bar like the other
straight patrons. This was the law that
the police used to back up their bar
raids. When things were slow out on the
streets, they would just get prepared
with the paddy wagons and go raid a
couple of known gay hangouts, arrest and
fine the patrons, close and fine the bar
owner, and call it a night. Imagine
kids, being hustled out of a bar and
arrested for being gay and having a
drink! In Atlantic City there were gay
clubs but you couldn't dance or touch in
any fashion. Even when dancing became
permissible, you were not allowed to
touch because that would get a club
closed down and fined. Try to imagine
it.

One night in 1969 (yes only 30 years
ago) in New York's Greenwich Village at
the Stonewall Inn, the police pulled one
of their many gay bar raids and all hell
broke loose. The fight started and
continued for several nights. Gay
Liberation as a national struggle was
born. I remember in 1972 (I was 22 at
the time) tuning in to The David
Susskind Show because he was having a
panel of lesbians on to discuss being
gay and gay liberation. You young people
won't remember but, at that time, talk
shows were not like they are today. The
David Susskind show was a serious show
with serious and informative
discussions. The audiences at the talk
shows were adult and quiet and sometimes
allowed to ask questions at specific
times. There was nothing like the
ridiculous carrying-on that you see all
the time on the Jerry Springer Show and
the like. Anyway it was the first time
I had ever seen such an open discussion
on TV. Where I grew up, I was absolutely
certain I was the only gay man within
many miles. I watched that show on every
channel it appeared for a whole week.
Being that there was no such thing as a
video recorder, I taped it on cassette
tape. I still have it and listen to it
at least once a year. I had to make a
copy of it about 3 years ago as the tape
was getting too old and fragile. It
still stirs me like it did 30 years
ago.
Things have changed and we are not so
much the filthiest things on the planet.
However, as we all hear and see all the
time now, the hatred is still very much
alive and as vicious. It's just all out
in the open. The old myths about
"queers" are still going strong. Kids,
let me reassure you that these
self-righteous bastards will do anything
to send us back into nonexistence. We
see that in the news all the time. This
year Oregon will be voting on an antigay
measure for the 32nd time. They are
relentless and we have to be also. Don't
take it for granted that someone else
will do the fighting for you. We all
need to do this together in any legal
fashion that we are able. We deserve
everything that the law grants to them.
Don't wait expecting them to someday get
nice to us. Your society still would
rather you didn't exist. And for us
older people, we must not allow
ourselves to just sit back figuring that
we don't have to bother because it's up
to the younger folks. They need our
voices as much as we need theirs. Do
something to help us all become equal
citizens.
[Source: Gianni, Tampa Bay Coalition,
1999]

Elder Lesbians Give Advice to Young
Lesbians
Same Sex
Couples Tell
Us What it's
Like to be
Legally
Married
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Gay and
Lesbian
Association
of Retiring
Persons
Edith & Thea:
A Love Story
for the Ages
Plight of Elder LGBTQ People
Challenges
of Coming
Out Late in
Life
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
Advocate:
No One Will Care for LGBTQ Seniors But
Themselves
Housing for LGBTQ Elders
Should Be a
Priority
Older Lesbian Couple: Happy for 30 Years
Video Talk: Old Gays Share Their Coming Out Stories
Ageism Takes Heavy Toll on LGBTQ Seniors Video: This is What 54 Years of Unwavering Love Looks Like
Video:
Silent
Pioneers
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
Richard and John: Elderly Couple
Things
Older Adults Can Do to Stay Connected
and Overcome Isolation

Ageing in Equity
“We’re coming out of an experience of
being badly treated in society, and
there’s no sense that treatment is going
to get any better when you get older and
more vulnerable within the system.”
A Vision of Healthy Ageing
The growth of the nation’s older
population is among the most significant
demographic shifts taking place in the
United States today. The “graying of
America” has profound implications for
health care and other senior services.
As this issue takes center stage, a
greater emphasis is being placed on the
notion of “healthy ageing” or “successful
ageing.”
Access to appropriate housing, quality
health care, and supportive services are
the main ingredients of ageing well, and
the exponential rise in the number of
older Americans will challenge and
transform the systems charged with
providing these services. At the same
time, the growing number of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)
seniors (and their increasing degree of
openness and demands for fair and equal
treatment) are further challenging the
elder care system to meet the needs of
all seniors, sparking transformations
that are long overdue.

Society must adopt a positive vision of
“successful ageing” for LGBTQ elders,
which encompasses a variety of
quality-of-life issues that affect all
senior citizens, regardless of their
sexual orientation or gender identity.
These quality-of-life issues include the
ability to:
--Maximize
one’s physical and emotional well-being
throughout the ageing process.
--Maintain
the highest possible degree of autonomy
and independence for as long as
possible.
--“Age
in place” in one’s own neighborhood or
community within a context of respect,
safety, and support.
--Remain
actively engaged with social networks,
including chosen and biological
families.
--Pursue
the social, recreational, intellectual,
spiritual, and creative activities that
provide a sense of stability,
fulfillment, and vibrancy throughout the
life cycle.
This information is designed to help
funders recognize and resource this
vision for healthy ageing within the LGBTQ community, which faces numerous
barriers to accessing the services and
support systems that promote “successful
ageing” in our society.
Before describing these barriers and
concerns, it is important to first
understand the broader context of ageing
in America.
LGBTQ Seniors: Depression and Loneliness
Gray Gays: Ageing as an LGBTQ Adult LGBTQ MAP: Improving the Lives of LGBTQ Older Adults
Bill and John: More Than Ever
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
Video: Silent Pioneers
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
Gay and Lesbian Association of Retiring
Persons
Need to Build More LGBTQ Senior Housing
Elderly Gay Man Recalls His Visit to a
Psychologist in 1948
AARP Launches Website for Older LGBTQ
Americans
Gay Seniors: Mental Health and Stress
Resources
for Transgender Seniors
SAGE Publication: Practical Guide for
LGBTQ Elders
Advocate: Politics of Caring for Our
Queer Elders
Richard and John: Elderly Couple

Changing Demographics: The Graying of
America
In 2000, there were an estimated 35
million people age 65 or older in the
United States, representing 12 percent
of the U.S. population, up from 8
percent in 1950. In 2010, the post–World
War II baby boom generation will begin
to turn 65, so that by 2030, there will
be about 70 million older persons, more
than twice as many as in 2000. By 2030,
people age 65 and older are expected to
represent 20 percent of the U.S.
population. Individuals age 85 and older
are the fastest growing segment of the
older population. The increasing size of
this age group has major implications
for the future of this country’s health
care system, because these individuals
tend to be in poorer health and require
more services than elders in their 60s
and 70s (a group sometimes referred to
as the “younger old”).
In 2000, an estimated 2 percent of the
U.S. population was 85 or older. By
2050, the percentage of persons in this
age group is projected to more than
double to nearly 5 percent of the
population. The US Census Bureau
projects that the population of persons
age 85 and older could grow from about
four million in 2000 to 19 million by
2050. Increasing life expectancy rates
contribute to the growth of the older
population. In 1900, life expectancy at
birth was about 49 years. By 1960, life
expectancy had increased to 70 years.
In 2001, life expectancy at birth
reached a record high of 77.27 years.
Life expectancies at 65 and 85 have also
increased. Under current mortality
conditions, people who survive to age 65
can expect to live an average of nearly
18 more years, while those who survive
to age 85 can expect to live an average
of seven years (for women) and six years
(for men). In broad terms, these life
expectancy rates not only amount to an
“elder boom,” but to large numbers of
much older individuals with commensurate
health care and other ageing-related
needs. On an individual level, these
rates will translate into much longer
periods of retirement for individual
seniors, and more extended periods of
reliance on housing, health care, and
social services geared to their needs.
Older Americans are also growing more
racially and ethnically diverse. In
2000, an estimated 84 percent of persons
age 65 and older were non-Hispanic
white, 8 percent were non-Hispanic
black, 6 percent were Hispanic, 2
percent were Asian/Pacific Islander, and
less than 1 percent were Native
American/Alaska Native. By 2050, it is
projected that approximately 64 percent
of persons age 65 or older will be
non-Hispanic white, 16 percent will be
Hispanic, 12 percent will be
non-Hispanic black, and 7 percent will
be Asian/Pacific Islander. Services for
America’s seniors will need to take this
growing diversity into account as they
strive to provide services that truly
meet seniors’ needs.

Core Issues for LGBTQ Elders
A contemporary understanding of
culturally competent service delivery
for seniors must include LGBTQ issues.
While LGBTQ elders and their
heterosexual counterparts contend with
many of the same ageing-related issues
(including challenges to their health,
independence, and mobility; social
isolation; the loss of peers and loved
ones; and financial concerns, among
others), LGBTQ seniors face special
difficulties as well. These seniors are
“twice-hidden” due to social
discrimination on two levels: ageism and
homophobia or heterosexism. LGBTQ
seniors often face antigay or gender
discrimination by mainstream elder care
providers that renders them “invisible”
and impedes their access to vitally
important services. At the same time,
LGBTQ elders frequently confront ageism
within the LGBTQ community and the
organizations created to serve the
community’s needs. Many older LGBTQ
people respond to the pressures of
discrimination by concealing their
sexuality in settings where being “out
of the closet” might hinder their access
to quality care or even endanger their
well-being. For many LGBTQ elders in
their 70s and 80s, “passing” as
heterosexual has been a lifelong
survival strategy, one they are likely
to carry with them when seeking
long-term care, entering a nursing home,
or speaking with a health care provider.
This dynamic prevents many LGBTQ seniors
from openly accessing the very programs
that could be most beneficial to them,
if only these programs were perceived as
safe places to turn for help and if they
were culturally responsive to LGBTQ
elders’ needs.
The gravity of this problem was even
acknowledged on the federal level when,
in 2001, the
US Office on Ageing recognized that LGBTQ
elders are underserved by the federally
funded programs that receive support
through the Older Americans Act to help
elders remain independent and in their
home environment and to prevent
unnecessary or premature institutionalization.
LGBTQ elders are vulnerable in another
important area as well. Being closely
linked with income, health status, and
the availability of caregivers, living
arrangements are an important indicator
of well-being among older persons. The
US Census Bureau reports that older
persons who live alone are more likely
to be in poverty than older persons who
live with their spouse. Needs
assessments of LGBTQ elders in Los
Angeles, Milwaukee, New York
City, San Francisco, and elsewhere have
found that LGBTQ elders are far more
likely to live alone than heterosexual
elders. LGBTQ elders are also less
likely to have children than their
heterosexual counterparts. Since life
partners and children play an important
role in caregiving, many LGBTQ elders
become reliant on formal caregiving
services sooner than elders who can turn
to family members and partners for
informal support. LGBTQ elders who are
partnered must contend with an array of
discriminatory practices that arise from
the lack of formal recognition of their
personal relationships. LGBTQ couples
face unequal treatment in hospital
visitation, health decision making,
nursing care policies, Medicaid
regulations, Medicare and Social
Security coverage, pension and tax
regulations, housing rights, and a host
of other issues that fundamentally
affect their financial security, health
status, and quality of life.
[Source: Funders for Lesbian and Gay
Issues, Report on LGBTQ Elders in
America, 2004]

LGBTQ Elders
Show
Resiliency
Despite
Barriers
Older Lesbian Couple: Happy for 30 Years
Bisexual Elders
Williams
Institute Report: LGBTQ Ageing
Advocate: Politics of Caring for Our
Queer Elders
Gen Silent: LGBTQ Ageing Documentary
LGBTQ
Seniors: The Joy of Being Out
University of North Dakota: Resources
for the Ageing LGBTQ Community
Same Sex Couples Tell Us What it's Like
to be Legally Married
Gail and Audrey: Unexpected Love Story
Video Talk:
Old Gays
Share Their
Coming Out
Stories
AARP Pride:
LGBTQ
Advocates
See Hurdles
Ahead
LGBTQ Senior
Experience
Black and
Gay in New
Orleans in
the 60s
Ageing in
Equity: LGBTQ
Elders in
America
Frightening and Encouraging: Being an
Older LGBTQ Person
Video:
Silent
Pioneers
Ageism Takes Heavy Toll on LGBTQ Seniors
Photos: Trans Elders Who Have Survived
Things
Older Adults Can Do to Stay Connected
and Overcome Isolation
Gay and Lesbian Association of Retiring
Persons
Advocate:
No One Will Care for LGBTQ Seniors But
Themselves
LGBTQ
Seniors Tell Their Stories
Now You See
Me: Film
About Group
of Elder
Lesbians
LGBTQ Ageing:
A Question
of Identity
Never Have I Ever: Elder Gay Men Having
Fun
Story Corps: Two Retired Vets Celebrate
Love
Advocate:
Portraits of LGBTQ Seniors
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