An alarming amount of LGBTQ+ seniors are living in poverty — but it doesn’t have to be this way.
One in five U.S. households led by people over 50 have no retirement savings, according to a recent report from the Milken Institute and SAGE, and 61 percent of American elders — those ages 65 and older — say that they worry about not having enough financial resources to support themselves in later life.
This fear is felt even more strongly by LGBTQ+ elders, about 40 percent of whom are living below the federal poverty line. Compared to the rest of the population, their poverty rates can be between 20 and 40 percent higher than their heterosexual and cisgender peers.
This is due to several factors, including “lifetime earnings that might be lower, economic discrimination, and lower homeownership rates,” says Caitlin MacLean, managing director of innovative finance at the Milken Institute and one of the report authors. LGBTQ+ people are also more likely to be denied loans and to live alone in single-income homes.
“Long-term care is extremely expensive as we age, and 50 percent of the LGBTQ+ population falls into the ‘very low income’ level determined by area median income, making it very difficult to even afford subsidized housing and care, let alone market-rate options,” MacLean tells The Advocate. “This further exacerbates the lack of economic opportunity for LGBTQ+ older adults.”
One of the most straightforward ways to address this crisis is to fund affordable, LGBTQ+-affirming elder housing programs, which can be done through social bonds, impact investment funds, or prize funds. Additionally, affirming programming, workforce training, and inclusive design improvements can be added to existing services.
While government incentives may not be available, especially in places with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, MacLean says “even states that have discriminatory policies often have cities that have their own ability to issue debt or build housing or design funding incentives that are at a local level and therefore more flexible.”
It’s not just state or local governments that can act — MacLean stresses that financial institutions, private investors, and corporations can also take initiative. Even individuals could do something “as simple as volunteering time at housing that already exists for older adults.”
“Necessity drives innovation, so we are hopeful that individuals in communities across the country will see the growing need we have for affordable and affirming housing and care for older adults,” MacLean says. “We hope that each person can find a way to become a champion for designing, funding or advocating for this type of service and supports.”
“Everyone can do something to be a champion for LGBTQ+ older adults,” she adds. “Now more than ever, we need people who are willing to step up and stand up for long-term solutions for a healthier, thriving community.”
Exactly one year after opening its doors, The Pryde has transformed the historic 1902 structure into New England’s first LGBTQ+ welcoming affordable senior housing community.
Karmen Cheung, Pennrose New England Regional VP, recalled the building’s previous state.
“I remember walking in and doing a tour of the building when it was vacant for the first time,” Cheung said. “It was actually kind of creepy, cold, dark.”
The vision, however, was clear: to turn an historic building into an independent living space where LGBTQ+ seniors could feel a strong sense of belonging. The result is a vibrant community that residents like Brian Salvaggio deeply appreciate.
“It’s bright, it’s open, it’s lively,” Salvaggio said. “It’s really the first group of people that’s lived here, so you feel part of something.”
For many residents, The Pryde offers a much-needed haven.
“As we get older and we want more community around us and we want more support around us, that’s really what brought us here,” resident Pat Xavier said.
The 100% accessible building addresses a critical need for a generation of LGBTQ+ elders who grew up without the legal protections and societal acceptance now afforded to younger generations, according to Gretchen Van Ness, executive director of LGBTQ Senior Housing.
“This generation of LGBTQ elders has faced such losses that they come into their elder years with a much smaller safety net than a lot of other folks are lucky to have,” Van Ness said.
The journey to create The Pryde was a dedicated nine-and-a-half-year collaboration between LGBTQ Senior Housing and Pennrose Management. Throughout the renovation, developers diligently preserved the building’s historic charm, retaining elements like original chalkboards and bell systems.
“Every unit is actually a little different because of those historic pieces,” Cheung said.
The Pryde is open to anyone over 62 who qualifies for affordable housing, though demand has far outstripped availability.
“We are 100% occupied,” Van Ness said. “This community is full and it’s hopping and there’s a million things going on.”
For residents, the most significant impact is the feeling of safety and liberation from discrimination and isolation.
“That’s just a wonderful feeling because, you know, there’s no more hiding,” Brian Salvaggio said. “Not at our age. We want to be who we are and enjoy the time we have.”
After a year of operation, residents and representatives alike believe The Pryde stands as a powerful blueprint for LGBTQ+ senior living communities everywhere, demonstrating how inclusive spaces can transform lives.
Janice Goldberg still remembers the first moment she laid eyes on her partner Sue.
It was over 45 years ago in the small beach town of Ocean City, Maryland. Janice had gotten a job waiting tables at an upscale restaurant after spending the first part of her summer in Europe. She wasn’t quite sure what the future had in store for her – then “there she was.”
Sue, who lived in Florida at the time, had travelled up the coast to spend the summer in Ocean City with her then-boyfriend. The two decided one day to treat themselves to a meal at a fancier restaurant, and happened to walk into the one where Janice worked. “The rest is, as they say, history.”
Janice started as Sue’s waiter, but it wasn’t long before she became her lover. Today, she’s her caregiver.
Sue began showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease about ten years ago. Since then, Janice has had to balance her work as both a theater director and a tour guide with caring for the love of her life. She recently agreed to take part in the upcoming PBS documentary Mind Over Matter: My Alzheimer’s to shed a light on her experience – and hopefully help end the “stigma” surrounding it.
“I want people to recognize that it’s a journey. I want people to recognize the difficulty of it, and I want to take away some of the fear that’s involved,” Janice tells The Advocate. “I also think that it’s important for people to see how caregivers and their loved ones can deal with it and what they do to make things manageable for themselves.”
The documentary is the third in a series from award-winning co-directors Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green that focuses on neurodegenerative diseases. The film follows Janice and Sue’s journey alongside two other pairs of parent and child as they all navigate life with the conditions.
One of the film’s central themes is “how people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia continue to lead meaningful lives where they’re connected to others and connected to activities and things that they enjoy and love,” Moot-Levin says. This doesn’t just mean patients, as “there’s an impact on the immediate family, there’s an impact on the person’s community, and there’s a real loss in the experience of the people who are surrounding the person with that illness.”
“Each of them have such a deeply loving relationship and they find a way to maintain that relationship even as one person changes with dementia,” Green adds. “I think that people are very dismissive of the sort of personhood of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and they don’t always see and interact with them. There’s a lot more recognizing the humanity of people living with Alzheimer’s that we need to do.”
Including Janice and Sue’s relationship also showcases “what an LGBTQrelationship is like in aging,” Green says, which there unfortunately aren’t many examples of in media. The filmmakers wanted to examine the “differences” that arise in later stages of life for queer people, to which Janice asserts, “We’re older. That’s the difference.”
The directors initially connected with Janice and Sue over two years ago through SAGE, an advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ elders that offers support groups for people with neurodegenerative diseases. While Janice greatly appreciates having a group of queer people she can relate to, she says that she never pictured herself ending up in such a group.
“I thought I’d get through my whole life without ‘therapy,’” Janice says. “Turns out you don’t.”
While Janice notes that “the battle is the same for everybody, and it’s vastly different for everybody all at the same time,” all the caregivers she knows have experienced a similar feeling of loss. This isn’t just from the changes in their loved ones, but the changes in themselves that Moot-Levin has dubbed a “transformation of identity.”
“For this particular disease, it’s hard as hell on the caregiver because the person who has the disease oftentimes does not know they have the disease. They think they’re fine, so they can live a peaceful, happy life,” Janice says. “I don’t know any caregiver who lives a peaceful, happy life.”
While Janice knew that the film was an “important project,” she says she mainly wanted to participate because it seemed “fun” – and it was “something good to do with Sue since she needs some engagement.”
Sue was a gracious host even when she didn’t remember that a documentary team was in her home, as Green says that she would frequently offer the crew snacks and refreshments. “She would sometimes forget that we were there and then be surprised that we were there, but still be a consummate hostess with the revelation that there was a camera crew in her apartment,” Green recalls.
What was “remarkable” for Janice about the process was being able to watch the documentary once it was finished and see Sue’s progression. When filming began, Sue was still verbal. Now, Janice says “words are difficult for her,” and that she mostly speaks in “gibberish.”
“To have to watch that, I found very moving and sad, but I was grateful that I saw it so there’s a documentation of that,” Janice says.
Through the film, Janice hopes to draw attention to what people caring for loved ones with neurodegenerative diseases go through. The process is “draining on families,” she says, especially if “you’re under a certain income” or if “ people have to quit jobs to care for people and then there’s no income.”
The filmmakers also hope to erase some of the stigma surrounding such conditions, as Moot-Levin emphasizes “we need to support people through that sense of loss.”
“People often want to hide themselves as they begin to get dementia. People feel shame and embarrassment,” Green says. “Being more accepting so that we can have a society that people are more fully integrated in and less lonely and less isolated really would be wonderful.”Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s will debut as part of the Independent Lens series on PBS May 5.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The fourth Master Plan for Aging (MPA) annual report highlights California’s leadership and progress in helping hundreds of thousands of people aged 50 and over get more affordable health care and home care and live in inclusive and safe communities. The report covers accomplishments achieved in year four of California’s nation-leading 10-year plan to help all people, families, and the economy thrive through longer lives.
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Aging (CDA) released a new report detailing 81 Master Plan for Aging (MPA) initiatives designed to build momentum and drive results for older Californians over the next two years. The MPA, California’s groundbreaking 10-year blueprint for aging and disability services that has become a national model, continues to be a catalyst to empower older adults, Californians with disabilities, and caregivers, according to the new report on its progress in 2024. Developed in 2021, today’s efforts also highlight the state’s commitment to support under-represented older populations, such as LGBTQIA+ older adults, people who are vulnerable in natural disasters like wildfires, families impacted by dementia, people who are isolated, unhoused older adults, and people with disabilities.
The recent wildfires in Southern California reinforce the importance of planning and preparing for a rapidly growing aging population, which the MPA has highlighted over the past four years.
“Ongoing and much-appreciated partnerships with stakeholders, philanthropy, the Legislature, and Governor Newsom’s administration are helping build the aging network of the future,” said Kim Johnson, California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary. “A person-centered, data-driven, equity-focused Master Plan for Aging is a robust tool to advance the health and well-being of all older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. This report is a strong accountability measure reflecting our commitment to transparency and outcomes.”
ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN FOR AGING: Governor Gavin Newsom launched the MPA four years ago to address the growing number of older Californians, a population that is increasing faster than the number of children for the first time in history. By 2030, 25% of the state’s population will be aged 60 or older. The MPA is a comprehensive 10-year effort to expand programs and improve access to care so all older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers feel valued and have equitable opportunities to thrive.
The MPA outlines five Bold Goals to build a California for all ages and abilities by 2030: 1) Housing for All Ages & Stages; 2) Health Reimagined; 3) Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation; 4) Caregiving That Works; and 5) Affording Aging. To learn more, visit mpa.aging.ca.gov.
KEY 2024 ANNUAL REPORT UPDATES
Progress has been made on all 95 initiatives from the past two years of MPA implementation. Included among 2024 achievements:
Delivering Housing: California is making progress to reduce chronic homelessness. Among many supports, the Community Care Expansion Program led by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has invested more than $243 million in 29 projects to date and anticipates building or preserving 7,000 beds or units supporting older adults and people with disabilities who are homeless or at risk of becoming unhoused. And since 2018, the Home Safe Program has served 15,615 older adults or dependent adults facing housing crises because of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation.
Expanding Medi-Cal Health Insurance: More than 47,000 older adults and people with disabilities with the lowest incomes in California benefited directly from services provided by the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program in the last 12 months. The expansion of Medi-Cal to all low-income Californians aged 50 and older has resulted in more than 364,000 additional older adults now receiving health care through Medi-Cal.
Advancing Emergency Preparedness: To help older adults and people with disabilities prepare for emergencies and stay safe during them, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) partnered with CDA and the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) to develop California’s first-ever Emergency Preparedness Guide specifically for this population.
Training Caregivers: To address a growing need for caregivers for older adults and people with disabilities, CalGrows trained 30,884 direct care workers participating in 700 free training courses, paying $35 million in stipends and incentives. The In-Home Supportive Services Career Pathways Program through CDSS trained 58,505 unique learners in 27,030 trainings with $41.3 million paid in incentives.
Combating Loneliness: From January through November 2024, Friendship Line California — a free crisis intervention warmline providing emotional support for older adults and people with disabilities — assisted 117,673 callers in seven languages.
Closing the Digital Divide: To reduce isolation, CDA provided a combined 89,000 digital devices and related training to older adults and Californians with disabilities, who are among those most in need of social connection to remain healthy.
Groundbreaking LGBTQIA+ Study: CDA and its partners administered California’s first survey of LGBTQIA+ older adults, gathering baseline data to better understand and serve this population. Among the more than 4,000 respondents, 86% rated their quality of life as high.
Improving Mobility: With federal funding, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) awarded $51.7 million to more than 100 nonprofit organizations and public agencies for projects to improve mobility for and meet special transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities.
Supporting Home and Community Living: The California Community Transition project from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) helped 2,152 people aged 65 and older transition out of skilled nursing, and CDA awarded 708 Bridge to Recoverygrants totaling $55.8 million to support Adult Day Centers and Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly sites. Both aim to help people continue living at home rather than in institutions.
Strengthening Retirement for All: In 2024, the CalSavers retirement savings program — for workers who previously had no way to save for retirement — reached $1 billion in assets. More than 50,000 employers have established 519,000 savers fund accounts since a 2019 pilot.
“In the last four years we have seen California invest billions of dollars to strengthen existing programs and launch new services to support older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers,” said Fernando Torres-Gil, M.S.W., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging at UCLA, and Implementing the Master Plan for Aging in California Together (IMPACT) Committee member. “We’ve seen expansions in health care coverage, reforms to bridge clinical care with community living, and a renewed emphasis on behavioral health for older adults. California’s commitment to equity is evident by the progress we have made to date and remains a core value of our future Master Plan for Aging work.”
Visit the MPA Implementation Tracker for more information about progress made on these and prior initiatives.
2025-26 MPA INITIATIVES
The 81 priority initiatives for 2025-26 build upon the work of the MPA’s first four years while preparing for a future with increasing diversity and greater numbers of older Californians. Themes for new initiatives include:
Establishing a framework to develop California’s first-ever Aging and Disability No Wrong Door system, including a pilot for a statewide consumer-facing website and contact center to improve navigation.
Protecting Medicaid expansion with a focus on vulnerable, underserved populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
Addressing housing needs by elevating and advancing innovative public-private housing solutions.
Improving access to programs supporting people in homes instead of institutions, including day programs for people with Alzheimer’s and related cognitive disorders.
Expanding housing support for crime victims and survivors with specialized needs, including older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, non-English speaking, and culturally or religiously marginalized populations.
Expanding resources to help communities develop and implement age- and disability-friendly plans.
Enhancing access to behavioral health and substance use disorder services for older adults.
Bolstering California’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) to meet increasing demand for Medicare counseling.
Improving transitions of older adults and people with disabilities leaving incarceration.
“The Master Plan for Aging is a dynamic guide to help Californians live their best lives,” said CDA Director Susan DeMarois. “People of all ages deserve options for housing, availability of health care, and access to community connections that reduce loneliness and isolation — all things that the Master Plan delivers. The 2025-26 initiatives will carry that momentum over the next two years, strengthening California’s commitment to equity for all.”
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: By 2030, one in four Californians will be aged 60 or over, introducing new challenges and opportunities for families, communities, workplaces, health care systems, and the economy. California will report annually on investments and progress toward MPA goals, which guide policies and activities that support and empower older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. To learn more about the older adults in a specific county, including population and social and economic needs, visit the County Profiles section of the Data Dashboard for Aging.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF AGING: Under the umbrella of the California Health & Human Services Agency, CDA administers programs that serve older adults, adults with disabilities, family caregivers, and residents in long-term care facilities throughout the State. These programs are funded through the federal Older Americans Act, the Older Californians Act, State General Fund, and through the Medi-Cal program. To promote the Department’s goal of every Californian having the opportunity to enjoy wellness, longevity and quality of life in strong healthy communities, CDA actively collaborates with a wide array of partners on transportation, housing and accessibility, emergency preparedness and response, wellness and nutrition, falls and injury prevention, improving services to persons with dementia, reducing fraud and abuse, and many other issues. To learn more, visit aging.ca.gov.
The results from California’s first state-wide survey of LGBTQ+ older adults showed overall high levels of satisfaction with their quality of life but also concerns about the personal, financial, and mental health well-being of transgender women.
The survey, entitled “From Challenges to Resilience,” was conducted in early 2024 with 4,037 respondents. The survey was conducted by the California Department of Aging, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing’s Department of Community Health Systems, and Openhouse, a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ older adults support group.
“This survey marks an important step in understanding the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ older adults, allowing us to take meaningful steps in shaping services that truly reflect and respond to this community,” CDA Director Susan DeMarois said in a statement. “We’re proud that so many respondents feel California offers a high quality of life, and we are committed to building on these strengths by addressing barriers and creating a more inclusive, supportive future for all older Californians.”
The survey explored seven topics: economic well-being, social well-being, discrimination and safety, health care access, service utilization, mental health and substance use, and cognitive and physical health.
Most of the survey respondents were white (78 percent). Most also identified as cisgender (86 percent). Most lived in Northern California (65 percent) and in urban areas (81 percent).
Most surveyed gave high marks for personal wellness and quality of life (86 percent), while 14 percent rated their quality of life as only fair or poor. Transgender and gender expansive were the least satisfied with the quality of their lives, with 22 percent giving only poor or fair ratings.
Trans women were also the most likely to have recently experienced unfair treatment, disrespect, and discrimination. Overall, 27 percent of those surveyed reported such experiences, but 54 percent of trans women said they have been so victimized recently.
Officials hope to use the results of the survey as a baseline for further research and as a key component of the state’s overall plan to deal with California’s aging population.
“California is leading the way in creating a future where every older adult, regardless of identity, is valued, respected, and supported,” Kim Johnson, Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, said in a statement. “These findings provide a foundation for meaningful change, guiding us as we advance the Master Plan for Aging and ensure that all older Californians feel recognized and included.”
You can download the entire 96-page report here. Alternatively, you can download a 16-page summary of the report here.
As National Retirement Security Week begins, we’re sharing the results of MAP’s new study, which compares Bankrate’s recent analysis to our publicly available data on state policy to illustrate how state retirement rankings can change dramatically when you consider laws and policies that shape the lives and experiences of LGBTQ people.
A recent study by Bankrate, a personal financial services review site, looked at the best and worst states to retire and based their rankings on five factors: affordability, well-being, quality and cost of health care, weather, and crime. Their general recommendation emphasized in the New York Timesarticle featuring their analysis? “Head South.”
This suggestion may be fitting for those over 65 whose decision on where to live is mainly powered by cost of living and warm temps, but for the 2.7 million LGBTQ people ages 50 and over, other factors — like what rights a state affords or denies LGBTQ people — likely matter just as much, if not more. Including even a minimal consideration of a state’s treatment of LGBTQ people would result in a different ranking of states all together.MAP’s research team decided to compare Bankrate’s analysis to our publicly available data on state policy to illustrate how state rankings can change dramatically when you incorporate laws and policies that shape the lives and experiences of LGBTQ people. Our findings show strikingly different results and highlight a very different set of considerations for LGBTQ adults deciding where to spend their golden years.As a trusted source for rigorous research and insight, MAP’s LGBTQ Equality Maps provide a detailed, real-time snapshot of the state of LGBTQ laws and policies in the United States. Our maps track over 50 policies which, when tallied together, produce an overall LGBTQ policy score for each state. When comparing Bankrate’s state ranking to our tallies, two datapoints are immediately clear:70% of Bankrate’s ten highest ranked states receive a negative or low overall LGBTQ policy tally (MAP’s two lowest categories).
70% of Bankrate’s ten lowest ranked states receive a high overall LGBTQ policy tally (MAP’s highest category).MAP’s team then took it a step further, attempting to replicate Bankrate’s study by using the information included in their article. This attempt produced different results than Bankrate published, even before including LGBTQ policies. When MAP contacted Bankrate for clarification, Bankrate refused to share their complete data and methodology, so making a direct comparison or replication was impossible.
However, based on the limited data and methods Bankrate described in their original article, MAP followed a similar approach using the same factors and adding in our own state-level LGBTQ policy data — data which is freely available for others to use. Making minimal adjustments to Bankrate’s approach, our findings illustrate how dramatically the rankings can change with even a basic level of consideration of LGBTQ policies.As shown in the weight comparison chart below, MAP adjusted Bankrate’s weighting of affordability and weather to allow for the consideration of LGBTQ policies. These policies, which themselves can dramatically affect LGBTQ people’s overall quality of life, include one’s ability to afford or access housing and public places like parks, libraries, and senior centers (e.g. nondiscrimination law), access to affirming health care (e.g. insurance nondiscrimination), and protections against crime (e.g. hate crimes law), among many others.
By acknowledging the policy factors that directly impact quality of life and more for LGBTQ older adults and weighing these policies equitably with other key issues, we obtain a drastically different list of best and worst states for retirement. For example, only one of Bankrate’s original top 10 states maintained a spot on MAP’s top 10 list (Delaware), and two of Bankrate’s original worst 10 states are among MAP’s best list (California and Colorado).
At the end of the day, deciding where to relocate after retirement is a uniquely personal decision with dozens of variables to consider. But for many, the risk of discrimination, lack of fully inclusive protections, and slew of harmful and exclusionary laws make some states an impossible choice, no matter how perfect the weather.
To schedule an interview with a MAP researcher or for questions, please contact Dana Juniel at dana@mapresearch.org.
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About MAP: MAP’s mission is to provide independent and rigorous research, insight and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all. MAP works to ensure that all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life. www.mapresearch.org
A much-needed affordable housing project for LGBTQ+ seniors in San Francisco’s Castro District has hit a setback, as state agency funding was denied, even though the proposal was described as “a great project,”The Bay Area Reporter wrote.
Mercy Housing California, a senior living facility for elderly LGBTQ+ people, had applied for nearly $39 million from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program, a joint initiative by California’s Department of Housing and Community Development and the Strategic Growth Council. The funds would have funded a 187-unit affordable housing development in the Castro, the city’s historically gay neighborhood.
Amar Cid, deputy director of Community Investments and Planning, said the project had limited funds and much competition, with other applicants scoring higher.
“Round 8 of the AHSC program had many transformative, impactful community projects. Like every round, total project requests far exceeded the available funds. This year, requests were more than double what we could grant. It was a highly competitive process,” he told The Bay Area Reporter.
Cid emphasized that the rejection doesn’t mean the project isn’t valuable.
“The team met with the 1939 Market Street project team in mid-September to discuss ways to increase their score if they choose to apply in a future round,” he said, emphasizing that he told its organizers to apply again in the future. ”
“[It’s] a great project … [and] we hope they consider applying in a future round,” he said.
“Why some projects may have been awarded with a lower score than the 1939 Project has to do with other projects perhaps meeting specific [disadvantaged communities] and/or program priorities,” Cid said.
The affordable housing developer is partnering with Openhouse, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides services for LGBTQ+ seniors, to create their third building of below-market-rate apartments, primarily for LGBTQ+ seniors. Previously, the two organizations collaborated on 119 units of affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly senior housing spread across two buildings located at 55 and 95 Laguna Street — both are near the Castro District.
The push for affordable housing in the Castro is especially crucial as LGBTQ+ seniors face unique challenges in finding safe, inclusive living spaces. Mercy Housing’s commitment to resubmitting their application is a step forward, but the struggle for adequate funding continues.
Mercy Housing California said that it will reapply for funding in 2025. In a statement to Bay Area Reporter, the organization expressed hope for next year.
“Unfortunately, this does push the schedule back one year. However, we remain committed to delivering 187 units of LGBTQ+ friendly housing as soon as possible,” the organization said.
Gene Dinah misses his late husband, Robert Malsberry, every day. He misses Malsberry’s cooking, his love for gardening, the way he fixed things around the house and the way he made him feel special and protected.
“He was just great,” Dinah said of Malsberry, who died in 2019. “I couldn’t have had a better partner.”
The memories of the 46 years the men had together are all around him.Malsberry is in the paintings he bought to decorate their home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is in the medals he received for his service with the Air Force. Heis in the photos from a lifetime together.
“Oh, this is one of my favorite pictures,” Dinah said as he held a photo of himself and his husband standing in front of lush green shrubs at their home. “That’s our rock garden.”
Gene Dinah, left, and his husband, Robert Malsberry.Courtesy Gene Dinah
Picking up another photo, he said, “That’s my husband in our dining room in our house in Victoria Park with Cleo, our Persian cat.”
Robert Malsberry with Cleo, the cat he shared with Gene Dinah.Courtesy Gene Dinah
“Oh, this is a good picture,” he continued. “This is my husband when he was an Air Force lieutenant after graduating college.”
Robert Malsberry when he was an Air Force lieutenant.Courtesy Gene Dinah
They had no children, so when Malsberry was diagnosed with leukemia and later dementia, Dinah became his full-time caregiver. “I took care of him as best I could,” he said.
Malsberry died in 2019, four years after the couple got married in 2015, following that year’s landmark same-sex marriage ruling by the Supreme Court.
“My husband was very happy when we got married,” Dinah said. “I didn’t know how he was going to take it. I really didn’t, because he’d been in the closet, you know, for all those years.”
Dinah was destroyed after Malsberry died. “My whole life was him,” he said.
While taking care of his sick husband, Dinah did not think about his own elder years. Now, at 76, he is one of many LGBTQ elders who have no surviving relatives who can take care of them.
LGBTQ older adults are four times less likely to be parents than older heterosexual adults, and twice as likely to grow old single and living alone, according to SAGE, a national group that offers services and advocacy for LGBTQ adults 50 and older.
The challenges LGBTQ elders face overlap with an aging U.S. population. According to the U.S. Census, the population aged 65 or over grew to an unprecedented 55.8 million, or 16.8% of the total population, in 2020. The number of people in the U.S. that are 65 or older is projected to increase by 47% by 2050.
An older population exacerbates workforce shortages in senior living facilitiesand health care institutions, and while this affects many older Americans, LGBTQ elders face unique challenges when compared to their heterosexual counterparts.
In a report published in 2018, SAGE found LGBTQ elders are far more likely than their heterosexual peers “to have faced discrimination, social stigma and the effects of prejudice.” They are therefore, the report found, more likely “to face poverty and homelessness, and to have poor physical and mental health.”
Caregiving
Since LGBTQ people are less likely to have children, more than half (54%) of LGBTQ elders receive care from their partner and nearly a quarter (24%) receive care from a friend, according to SAGE. More than 20% of older LGBTQ adults have provided care to friends, compared to just 6% of their heterosexual counterparts.
Mitchell Zahn, a coordinator for SAGE in South Florida, said that in heterosexual family units, caregiving tends to have a vertical model, in which the child takes care of their parents.
“But in the gay community, since so many do not have a family, caregiving tends to be with friends, a more horizontal model,” Zahn said. “However, when you age, your friends tend to be older as well and have their own health needs, so our health support is failing as well because we don’t have that intergenerational aspect.”
Photographs of Gene Dinah and his husband, Robert Malsberry, throughout the years.Courtesy Gene Dinah
Dinah is a vivid example of the horizontal model of caregiving. For the four years during which Dinah was his husband’s sole caregiver, he arranged all of his medical appointments, found him the doctors he needed, took care of him through medical procedures, cooked for him, took care of the house and got him all the medical supplies he needed. After his husband died, Dinah had no one to help him with his own health care.
“I didn’t see a doctor or a dentist for four years while I was his caretaker,” he said. “When it was all over, I started going to the doctor, and I found out I had prostate cancer.”
Dinah went through six weeks of radiation treatments by himself.
Health care
Discrimination in health care and the fear of such discrimination are major factors that lead to health disparities for LGBTQ elders, according to research. In its 2018 report, for example, SAGE found approximately 20% of LGBTQ people avoid medical care out of fear of discrimination.
Zahn, the SAGE coordinator, said that because many LGBTQ elders grew up in a time when discrimination was more widespread and intense, they tend to fear government and health care institutions.
“People have experienced housing evictions, not having their partners recognized in health care institutions,” Zahn said. “So as a result, many are closeted when seeking services through traditional institutions.”
Zahn said LGBTQ elders may feel judged for who they are, so they may not share everything about their medical history with their doctors, which could lead to misdiagnosis and overall poor health outcomes.
The challenges of aging are even greater for transgender elders and even more for trans immigrants and trans people of color.
More than 20% of transgender people report that a doctor or other health care provider used harsh or abusive language while treating them, according to SAGE, while 50% of trans people reported having to teach medical providers about transgender care.
Morgan Mayfaire, 65, is the executive director of TransSOCIAL, an organization that aims to create a more inclusive community for transgender people. As a trans man, he said, he has experienced prejudice when visiting medical providers.
“When they look at your records, they’re going to see in your list of medications that you’re either taking estradiol or you’re taking testosterone,” Mayfaire said. “The question then is, ‘Why?’ The minute you tell them that it’s because you’re trans, you can see the bias in their face.”
Mayfaire helps train a variety of institutions, including those focused on health care, about best practices when caring for older trans people.He said very few medical professionals have gone through sensitivity training, and those that have, typically don’t train their new hires.
Florida is one of the states that has recently passed legislation seeking to restrict transgender rights, including a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that made it harder for transgenders adults to access gender-affirming care. That law is now on hold after a federal district court ruled it unconstitutional, but Mayfaire said the effects are palpable.
“A lot of the providers that we had before have either left the state and moved somewhere else, or are reluctant to reopen those services,” Mayfaire said.
Andrea Montanez, a trans field organizer in Orlando with the National LGBTQ Task Force, said, “It’s scary to be an elder as a transgender person, to be honest.”
Montanez, 58, said a doctor who had given her great treatment for years suddenly turned curt, cold and distant after she transitioned.
She also suspects her apartment lease was not renewed because she told her landlord she had transitioned.
Housing
Mayfaire said housing is another big obstacle for LGBTQ elders.
Half the LGBTQ population live in states with no laws prohibiting housing discrimination against them, and 48% of LGBTQ couples experience adverse treatment when seeking senior housing, according to SAGE.
“There are very few retirement communities for LGBTQ folks to begin with,” Mayfaire said. He added that even at retirement communities that are accepting of gays and lesbians, “it’s very rare” that they accept trans people.
He said he has heard of LGBTQ elders who end up having to go back into the closet in order to be accepted in some retirement communities.
“It’s a little bit more difficult when you’re trans and you’ve transitioned,” Mayfaire said. “How do you backtrack on that and how do you deal with that emotionally and mentally?”
Isolation
Nearly 60% of LGBTQ older adults report feeling a lack of companionship and over 50% reported feeling isolated from others, according to SAGE.
That isolation can really impact the mental health of LGBTQ elders, many of whom faced the brunt of discrimination and were the pioneers of the movement for LGBTQ rights.
To combat that loneliness, SAGE matches elders with “friendly visitors”: volunteers who donate their time to accompany an LGBTQ elder.
Volunteers sometimes share a meal with an elder, tell stories, watch movies, play board games or just simply talk. Some volunteers check in with their elders with a simple text message or a call.
“I’ve seen some real magic happen between volunteers and participants, some incredible relationships that have formed,” Zahn said.
Craig Rosenblatt is one of SAGE’s volunteers. Sitting next to Dinah on a recent Friday afternoon, Rosenblatt said he volunteers in part to pay homage to and learn from his LGBTQ elders.
“You’ve had experiences that I have not had with bigotry. Where there were a lot of things that I was able to do that you were not able to do, and there’s a lot of things that I was not able to do that people can do today,” Rosenblatt told Dinah.
After his husband died, Dinah said, he was so consumed by grief that he couldn’t manage to put up his Christmas tree for several holiday seasons.
“I just didn’t feel like doing anything for the holidays,” he said. “Grief is a funny thing. It saps your energy.”
Last Christmas, however, that changed, thanks to another SAGE volunteer.
“He got our Christmas tree out, got it working and plugged it in and everything, and that meant everything to me,” Dinah recalled. “The passage of time is a good thing. I know I feel much better now than I did in the beginning.”
Legislation to create a new task force to combat LGBTQ+ elder abuse has been introduced by out Rep. Angie Craig of (D-MN) and fellow Equality Caucus member Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
Gottheimer announced the bill, dubbed the “Elder Pride Protection Act,” at an annual roundtable of North Jersey LGBTQ+ community organizations and advocates.
“We know that elderly members of the LGBTQ+ community face abuse across our nation, but their voices aren’t being heard,” Gottheimer said Friday. “The reality is that organizations and government agencies aren’t tracking these heartbreaking attacks.”
The bill would require the attorney general to establish a Department of Justice (DOJ) task force composed of members of the DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative and the Office of Civil Rights, according to reporting from The Hill.
The interagency group would be tasked with developing a national approach to combating increased incidents of LGBTQ+ elder abuse, and determining and sharing best practices for local and state law enforcement.
Important to the group’s mission will be tracking and reporting when and how the abuse takes place. The group will make regular reports to Congress.
The new legislation “is a critical step in ensuring that we can coordinate our response to this runaway abuse at the federal level,” Gottheimer said. “No one should ever be mistreated on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, especially our vulnerable elderly populations.”
Data shared at the roundtable reveals many LGTBQ+ elders have reported challenges like a diminishing support system and loneliness. Abuse, however, often goes unreported.
An estimated 68% of elders in the community have experienced verbal harassment and 43 percent have been threatened with violence, according to a study from The National Center on Elder Abuse.
Another survey revealed 65% of LGBTQ+ elders aged 60 or older reported dealing with victimization due to their sexual orientation. Also, 29% revealed they were physically attacked.
In May, out Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Sharice Davids (D-KS), and ally Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), who chairs the caucus’s LGBTQI+ Aging Issues Task Force, announced proposed updates to the Older Americans Act intended to improve services for older LGBTQ+ adults in rural areas, particularly for those living with HIV.
“Congress has a responsibility to ensure LGBTQI+ older adults and older people living with HIV in rural communities have the support they need to age with dignity,” said Rep. Pocan, the Equality Caucus chair.
Two out U.S. representatives and an ally have introduced a bill aimed at improving services for older LGBTQ+ adults living in rural areas.
Seniors who are LGBTQ+ or living with HIV and live in rural communities often face barriers to support and resources because of geography, costs, insufficient broadband infrastructure, lack of specialized providers, or stigma, notes a press release from Reps. Mark Pocan, Sharice Davids, and Suzanne Bonamici, all Democrats. Their Elder Pride Act would update the Older Americans Act and provide funding to help rural Area Agencies on Aging offer specific services for these populations.
The act would establish a grant program to fund cultural competency training for service providers; help connect these elders to providers and community organizations; expand nondiscrimination policies and community spaces for this population and members of other protected classes; provide resources on sexual health and aging, including for individuals with HIV, for senior service providers; and support other care and services.
“The ability of LGBTQI+ older Americans and seniors living with HIV to age with dignity should not depend on their zip code,” Bonamici, a straight ally who chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus’s LGBTQI+ Aging Issues Task Force, said in a press release. “The Elder Pride Act will improve the overall health and social and economic well-being of LGBTQI+ older adults and seniors living with HIV in rural areas by better equipping senior service providers with resources to address the unique needs of these communities. I’m pleased to introduce this important legislation with my colleagues and co-leaders on the Equality Caucus, Reps. Pocan and Davids.”
“Congress has a responsibility to ensure LGBTQI+ older adults and older people living with HIV in rural communities have the support they need to age with dignity,” added
Pocan, a gay man and chair of the Equality Caucus, added: “Congress has a responsibility to ensure LGBTQI+ older adults and older people living with HIV in rural communities have the support they need to age with dignity.”
“Many of our LGBTQI+ elders fought tirelessly for equality in a world that refused to accept their identity,” said Davids, a queer woman who cochairs the Equality Caucus. “While they overcame tremendous odds to give future generations the rights they deserve, our elders, particularly those in rural communities, continue to face discrimination when accessing long-term care and health care. I am proud to support the Elder Pride Act because who you are and who you love should never increase your risk for isolation, poverty, and poor health outcomes as you age.”
The legislation is endorsed by SAGE, the Equality Caucus, Human Rights Campaign, NMAC, Justice in Aging, National Center for Lesbian Rights, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus, National Coalition of STD Directors, interACT, and National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs.
“LGBTQ+ elders and older people living with HIV live in every part of this nation, including rural areas. We all deserve to be able to age in our communities with the services and supports we need to remain independent,” SAGE CEO Michael Adams said in the release. “We commend Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) on reintroducing the Elder Pride Act. And we honor the contributions of our many LGBTQ+ trailblazers whose tireless advocacy allowed us to reintroduce this critical bill. We look forward to working alongside Reps. Bonamici, Pocan, and Davids, and our LGBTQ+ pioneers nationwide to pass this legislation.”
