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.”
I came out as bisexual in my 40s, and I had to learn how to grant myself permission to embrace my fluidity and attraction to people across the gender spectrum.
I originally came out as a lesbian in my 30s after realizing I identified with the queer community. It was another 15 years before I met my current partner and truly recognized my fluidity. Part of this process involved overcoming the fear of being misjudged as heterosexual because of the appearance of my relationship.
Fortunately, we’re seeing progress as many are freeing themselves from heteronormative boxes to identify as bisexual and live more fulfilling lives. Today, 57% of LGBTQ+ Americans identify as bisexual, per a new Gallup report. But despite representing the majority of the queer community, we are often excluded from LGBTQ+ circles while simultaneously feeling out of place in heteronormative society. In short, we feel invisible.
This feeling of invisibility is evident in a study from the National Library of Medicine, which revealed that members of the Bi+ community are more likely to stay closeted. As a result, they face a greater risk for mental health issues compared to their gay and lesbian peers.
This risk is even greater for Bi+ elders.
A lifetime in the closet
The topic of bisexuality has rarely been discussed during my 30 years as a sexuality educator – even within my field of queer studies. Historically, the voices of Bi+ individuals have been widely overlooked in LGBTQ+ spaces and advocacy efforts. This lack of visibility has limited the awareness that one can identify as something beyond lesbian, gay, or straight.
While younger generations are growing up with bisexual role models and a broader acceptance of sexual fluidity, bisexual elders have less representation. Gallup’s report found that more than 68% of LGBTQ+ Gen Zers identify as bisexual compared to 26% of LGBTQ+ Baby Boomers.
And according to a Movement Advancement Project report, bisexual elders are much less likely to be out than their younger counterparts. Only 18% of bisexual respondents aged 45 and older said that the most important people in their lives knew they were bisexual, compared to 32% of respondents under 45.
Research also shows that bisexual older adults face unique challenges compared to their gay and lesbian peers. By not being “out” about their sexual orientation, many feel socially isolated, leading to poorer mental and physical health, elder abuse, and other negative outcomes.
While there are many reasons for bisexual elders to remain closeted, one of the biggest reasons is the fact that many grew up learning misconceptions about bisexual individuals. Bisexuals face not only discrimination in the heterosexist and homophobic culture but also resistance from the rest of the queer community, as some people feel bisexuals are “sitting on the fence.” Bi+ elders need to feel included and validated within the LGBTQ+ community, regardless of what their relationships look like.
Fostering inclusivity
Navigating biphobia and bisexual erasure can feel stressful and isolating, especially for elders who may already experience feelings of invisibility and isolation due to their age. It takes energy to mask your authentic self, but vulnerability can also be exhausting. Feeling excluded from both LGBTQ+ and heteronormative spaces can have an emotional, spiritual, and physical impact on Bi+ elders, and it often leads to them shrinking themselves and their networks.
Thankfully, we’re making progress. SAGE, the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ elders, is dedicated to improving life for those in the Bi+ community. Resources like the SAGE x HearMe app address the pressing need to create space for the Bi+ elder community by providing inclusive, safe spaces to share feelings and experiences with allied listeners. Continuing to expand access to targeted mental health support services is crucial to address the specific needs of the Bi+ community.
To support inclusivity in retirement and long-term care communities, SAGECarehas intentionally integrated more bisexuality topics into training programs to help providers better understand the unique needs of Bi+ elders. This includes training staff on using bi-inclusive language, planning bi-inclusive programming, and respecting diverse life narratives. In addition, our National LGBTQ+ Housing Initiative works tirelessly to ensure elders can age with dignity as their authentic selves.
Aging with dignity
As trends evolve, the LGBTQ+ community must be responsive and ensure space for all voices at the table. Advocates, care providers, and other allies need to resist common misconceptions about bisexuality, find opportunities to advocate for fluidity in sexuality, and embrace current initiatives to validate the experiences of Bi+ elders.
I’m always inspired to see people bravely stepping out of boxes and embracing their whole selves. As we work to build a more inclusive society, we need to trust that people know who they are.
When we move past binaries and allow space for individuals to explore and express themselves freely, we uplift each other. Acknowledging the fluidity of attraction will enable people to discover and embrace their authentic selves, paving the way for all of us to realize our full potential.
Terri Clark is a certified trainer with SAGE, the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ elders. She is an accomplished public health advocate, program planner, trainer, and facilitator with over 30 years of experience. Her areas of focus include human sexuality, with a specialty in LGBTQ+ issues, HIV prevention, sexual health, and older adult sexual expression. She is an advisory board member of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Health and Wellness Committee and serves on the aging workgroup of the Governor’s Commission on LGBT Affairs.
Infectious disease experts say more needs to be done to address rising STI rates in older people. The call to action will be presented next month at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease in Barcelona, Spain.
In a press statement in advance of the conference, they explained what was happening… and suggested some reasons.
For example, STIs in Americans aged 55 to 64 years have more than doubled over the past decade. It’s even worse for gonorrhea, rising from 15 cases per 100,000 people in 2015 to 57 per 100,000 in 2019.
In England, the number of over 45s diagnosed with gonorrhea and syphilis doubled between 2015 and 2019. The majority of that rise has been in gay men.
Professor Justyna Kowalska from the Medical University of Warsaw, who leads the research offers some reasons. These include the rise of dating apps, and erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra. An increasing number of people are having sex at a later stage in life.
“Rising divorce rates, forgoing condoms as there is no risk of pregnancy, the availability of drugs for sexual dysfunction, the large number of older adults living together in retirement communities, and the increased use of dating apps are likely to have contributed to the growing incidence of STIs in the over 50s”, says Professor Kowalska.
It’s known that some men are foregoing condoms due to advances in HIV treatment and prevention.
“These data likely underestimate the true extent of the problem as limited access to sexual health services for the over 50s, and trying to avoid the stigma and embarrassment both on the part of older people and healthcare professionals, is leading to this age group not seeking help for STIs,” continued Kowalska.
“People do not become asexual with age”
She says assumptions that people stop having sex as they age need to be challenged. For many people, sex remains an important part of their life into old age.
In a study in England, 50% of men aged 70 and over reported being sexually active. In a Swedish study, 10% of those aged 90 and over said they still had sex.
“People do not become asexual with age,” says Kowalska. “In fact, with preventive medicine and improved lifestyles people are enjoying a healthy life and sex life for longer.”
“Older people often find greater satisfaction in their sex lives due to experience and known expectations. We need more role models like Samantha Jones in the TV show Sex and the City to challenge stereotypes around older sexuality.”
Kowalska says health professionals need to talk more to older people about sexual health.
“Sexual health campaigns are focused on young people and overlook the needs and experiences of those aged 50 and older,” she says.
“Health promotion messages give the impression that condoms and concerns about STIs only apply to young people. But the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated STIs such as HPV-related cancers and onwards transmission are very real, particularly in this age group who are more likely to have underlying conditions such as heart disease and stroke.”
Although the rates of STIs in older people are lower than those in younger age groups, health awareness material aimed at elders remains rare.
Amsterdam
Queerty recently reported on how Amsterdam in the Netherlands had dramatically reduced its HIV transmission rates. It recorded just nine new cases in 2022. Part of the approach was a multi-pronged awareness campaign that included older people. The film below is about a man who grew up during the AIDS epidemic having a hook-up with a younger guy. They discuss safer sex methods.
The year: 1969. Man landed on the moon, the Beatles gave their last concert on top of the Apple building in London, and we mourned Judy Garland’s death. But most notable for me was the Stonewall Uprising on June 28.
As a gay African-American man, I am an activist and a pioneer. I have experienced some of the brightest and darkest highlights of LGBTQ history. So much has changed and I know my generation has made a significant contribution to the growth and positive changes. My mantra: “I’m living my best life!”
The year of the Stonewall Uprising, I was beginning my studies at Parsons School of Design. It was a turning point in my life. I felt equipped to leave my family nest and ready to be independent, a trait that was instilled in me at an early age.
As soon as I arrived in New York, the city was swarming with so much energy that it was hard to contain myself. New York City has always been a significant influence on gay life, art, music, fashion, commerce, and innovations on all fronts. I took some time to discover myself during those years, learning to navigate the city and indulge in self-expression.
The diversity of New York is something I have always loved. In fact, it was the openness and freedom of expression that led me to accept my sexuality. I gradually acclimated to my new life and adventures, only later realizing what an accomplishment it was to move to New York City and succeed at the tender age of 18.
As a textile designer and artist in the Garment District, I continued to take drawing classes at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art to keep my skills sharp. While in the workforce, I complied to corporate standards in the workplace to be taken seriously and avoid discrimination. But even so, I accepted my truth and began to live unapologetically as a gay African-American man.
One of the hard truths I had to learn – and something many people still refuse to acknowledge – is that the LGBTQ community has always been splintered and separated. I made it a point to nurture friendships with young gay people, mostly people of color. Most of my gay and bi friends attended venues that attracted people like me, where nightlife was flourishing and the creative community thrived. We saw diverse venues like David’s Loft in Manhattan, the first private dance club, as well as Andre’s, Jays, and the Big Apple in Harlem, all catering to people of color. I saw the 70’s as a “Golden Age” of gay life and freedom of self-expression.
Overwhelmed with a thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm to discover more about the LGBTQ experience, I moved to Berlin, Germany, in 1979. I was influenced by many Black figures who paved the way, including Josephine Baker, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. Moving to another country allowed me to escape racial disparities back home.
I was emboldened to continue advocating for LGBTQ people of color, which became crucial as we were hit with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As a result of attending so many funerals weekly, I became exhausted and fearful for my own health. I moved back to the U.S., making the best of my time in the Midwest professionally, but also prioritized being an advocate for HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ community as a whole.
Together, gays and lesbians organized community events, prepared meals, and initiated housing projects for suffering people who had been on the street. Fundraisers were held to raise money for those in need. Organizations like AmfAR (the Foundation for Aids Research) made their debut, as well as the drag ball Night of a Thousand Gowns and the Design Industry Foundation for AIDS. The late great Larry Kramer founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP, two organizations that changed the narrative in New York City and the world, invoking lifesaving solutions and resources for the LGBTQ community.
In 1995, the introduction of protease inhibitors – drugs that impede the spread of the virus – added longevity to a generation that did not expect to survive.
Returning to New York in the early 2000s and having reached my 50th birthday, I began to think about how I was beginning this stage in my life. My generation of LGBTQ folks have now become elders, with organizations like SAGE helping us age with dignity.
As we age, there are challenges in housing, healthcare, and other life support systems for our cohort. Many of us do not have families and face discrimination and isolation because of our sexual orientation, making LGBTQ elder support groups critical. I remain an advocate for older adults so we can keep our independence as we age.
As I continue to share my experiences before and after 50 years of Stonewall activism, I age with pride and dignity.
Alston Green is a longtime activist and fighter in social justice and LGBTQ movements. A creative thinker and a passionate spokesperson, Alston has worked with the Intergenerational Media Literacy program with Senior Planet (OATS) and SAGE – two organizations that offer aging adults an opportunity to explore, learn, mingle and renew their passions, to keep abreast of the ever changing world of digital technology and how it impacts everyone’s lives daily.
David Kilmnick knew an LGBTQ+ retirement community was needed when reaching out to elder facilities for educational programs.
The founder and president of the LGBT Network on Long Island, New York, he recalls a facility telling him “we have none of those here,” referring to LGBTQ+ people.
“I’m not talking this was 50 years ago or 20 years ago,” he says. “This was like five years ago.”
In September 2021, Kilmnick and his nonprofit opened the doors to The LGBT Network’s LGBT/LGBT Friendly Senior Housing, a 75-unit affordable housing community for LGBTQ+ elders. Here, residents can live out and proud with their partners and participate in programming at the 8,000-square-foot community center.
It’s a part of a growing response to the needs of the community, one where many grew up closeted and discriminated against, but also to see positive changes like marriage equality and a more welcoming society.
“It’s incumbent on us in the LGBT social service field to make sure that we create these safe and inclusive housing facilities so LGBTQ seniors and elders could age gracefully and be out and proud,” Kilmnick says.
The Palms of Manasota on the Gulf Coast of Florida touts itself as the first LGBTQ+ retirement community in the nation, while the Triangle Square Apartments in Los Angeles is considered the first affordable housing facility for elder LGBTQ+ people.
This community has the same needs as anyone else in their age group, but they also face discrimination and stigma, as well as being less likely to have children or grandchildren who can visit and help.
AARP has a page dedicated to the older LGBTQ+ community here. Additionally, they offer many online tools for all older adults like a retirement calculator that can help determine how much someone needs to be saving; a social security calculator; and a resource hub for all things Medicare.
With the rise of these specialized communities, they are able to age in place in a safe environment and also have access to services they need.
“It’s really the first generation of LGBTQ+ folks who are for the majority living their lives at some level of outness,” says Sherrill Wayland, the senior director of special initiatives and partnerships at SAGE, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ elders. “As we think about retiring, potentially looking for retirement communities or assisted living, we want to make sure that we can continue being our authentic self and not have to re-closet.”
In partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, SAGE created the long-term care equality index (LEI). Hearing from 200 communities in 43 states, they surveyed non-discrimination and staff training, resident services and support, employee benefits and policies, resident and community engagement. The findings help elders as they research communities to spend their golden years, and each year the groups hope more communities will participate.
“We’re really encouraging these systems to not just raise a rainbow flag using Pride Month, but looking at the policies, participants and procedures that really institutionalize what it means to be LGTQ+ welcoming and supportive,” Wayland says.
Sandra Newson is the vice president of resident services for Carrfour, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. One of their properties is The Residences at Equality Park in Wilton Manors, an LGBTQ+ community that opened in 2021 and shares a campus with The Pride Center.
“LGBT senior communities are very rare,” she says. “One of the challenges for a person who identifies as LGBTQ+ who is aging is feeling a sense of belonging and comfort in a traditional aging-in-place for a 55+ community is oftentimes faced with discrimination or hostility.”
Even the language in the application form might be a sign to an applicant that they are not welcoming, particularly to transgender or nonbinary people or same-sex couples who want to live together. At The Residences, Newson says they’ve created an affirming environment with “zero tolerance for any behaviors that make someone feel less than part of the community,” from the application process to signage in the buildings, the groups they partner with and staff training.
You shouldn’t have to go back into the closet to feel safeSandra Newson
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One of the most popular programs is a monthly meditation workshop with Sunshine Cathedral, an LGBTQ+-affirming church that also hosts grief sessions when a resident passes away. Other activities include movie screenings, holiday parties and weekly gatherings. With many of their residents experiencing chronic illness — including HIV, mental health issues and disabilities — due to a lack of access to health care in the past, counselors help connect them to community resources.
“You shouldn’t have to go back into the closet to feel safe,” Newson says.
The same model is in place at the LGBT Network. Kilmnick says that in traditional retirement homes, “there’s a lack or the LGBTQ community is completely invisible.”
In one focus group before opening, a woman shared that when she lost her partner of more than 30 years, she attended a bereavement group where other widows and widowers told her “that’s not the same thing.”
That does not happen at the LGBT Network. There, residents are treated to guest speakers, drag Bingo, health programs, holiday celebrations, and other diverse programming where they can be themselves alongside their partners.
“We’ve had a number of seniors tell us that this is the first place that they ever lived in their entire life —they’re in their mid-60s, mid-70s — this is the first time ever in their entire life that they have felt they lived in a safe place where they could be themselves,” Kilmnick says. “That’s powerful. It’s so sad and so powerful, and yet it really just stresses the importance of these facilities and that we need more of them.
On November 12, Paul Glass and Charles D. Evans of Falmouth were honored with this year’s AARP Andrus Award for Community Service. It’s AARP’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service. They are the first married and Black gay couple in AARP’s history to receive the award.
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is one of the largest organizations in the country. With a membership of over 38 million members as of 2018, it focuses on issues affecting Americans over the age of fifty. The AARP Andrus Award for Community Service is an annual awards program developed to honor individuals whose service is a unique and valuable contribution to their community and society, reflecting AARP’s vision and mission.
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“I am beyond honored and grateful for this recognition. I feel we are not put on this earth to exist but to be of service to others and our community,” Evans told LGBTQ Nation.
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When AARP Massachusetts was looking to honor the state’s top volunteer, Glass and Evans’s names rose to the top. They have made a difference in the lives around them, sharing their knowledge, experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of our community. Since childhood, their indefatigable spirit to give back to their community was ingrained in them.
“Paul and Charles have channeled the many negative experiences they endured into positive, healing, and inspiring volunteer work and leadership,” wrote Barrie Atkin of Swampscott, who nominated the couple.
“Their signature work co-founding LGBTQ+ Elders of Color in 2013 in Massachusetts was innovative, unusual, and courageous. No such organization existed at that time. In collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Aging Project, they identified the need and turned the need into a reality. They didn’t just co-found the organization along with others. Their continued leadership inspires many others to be involved.”
People of color are underrepresented and underserved when it comes to aging services and resources. Paul and Charles understand the intersectional challenges and complexities of growing older as African-American gay men.
LGBTQ+ senior communities with multiple identities confront multiple challenges. Their organization, LGBTQ+ Elders of Color, fills the gap missed by Massachusetts LGBTQ+ organizations and local, state, and federal public health systems. Outreach is essential because the challenges facing Black LGBTQ+ seniors intensify with age.
According to Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (Sage) and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), approximately one-third of LGBTQ+ elders live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, with 40 percent being Black.
These seniors often feel more vulnerable, invisible, and isolated by retirement. Historical and ongoing discrimination has created significant lifelong challenges for this demographic: limited wealth and savings, low wages, few labor protections, housing instability, food insecurity, stigma, immigration, HIV status, and higher mortality from treatable conditions. All have contributed to a lack of well-being and a lower quality of life.
By 2050, POC seniors will comprise over 40 percent of the elderly population, and approximately 3 million seniors will identify as LGBTQ+. With this projection, specific cultural and linguistic competence training and nondiscrimination policies are needed to support a rapidly growing demographic group that has experienced a lifetime of health, educational, and economic disparities.
In 2018, Massachusetts legislators passed “An Act Relative to LGBT Awareness Training for Aging Services Providers” mandating LGBTQ+ cultural awareness training for all state-funded and licensed aging service providers within 12 months of employment.
The challenges experienced by aging LGBTQ+ people of color can only be remedied by policymakers and aggressive programs invested in expanding care and services specifically targeted to these racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse communities.
These Dapper Dans, as I fondly dubbed them, provide unique and invaluable resources for LGBTQ+ elders of color. Their impact reverberates throughout the Bay State.
“Since relocating to Massachusetts on Cape Cod in 2002 and our subsequent retirement, we have enriched our lives with stronger connections to the community through outreach and advocacy,” Glass told the audience at the award ceremony. “To some, retirement may mean the opportunity to relax and take it easy. To us, retirement has provided an opportunity to find new ways to help others.”
Without the foundation people like Paul and Charles have laid for LGBTQ+ elders of color, we wouldn’t be the vibrant, visible, and growing community that we are.
Rajee Narinesingh faced struggles throughout her life as a transgender woman, from workplace discrimination to the lasting effects of black market injections that scarred her face and caused chronic infections.
In spite of the roadblocks, the 56-year-old Florida actress and activist has seen growing acceptance since she first came out decades ago.
“If you see older transgender people, it shows the younger community that it’s possible I can have a life. I can live to an older age,” she said. “So I think that’s a very important thing.”
Now, as a wave of new state laws enacted this year limit transgender people’s rights, Narinesingh has new uncertainty about her own future as she ages.
“Every now and then I have like this thought, like, oh my God, if I end up in a nursing home, how are they going to treat me?” Narinesingh said.
Most of the new state laws have focused attention on trans youth, with at least 22 states banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors.
For many transgender seniors, it’s brought new fears to their plans for retirement and old age. They already face gaps in health care and nursing home facilities properly trained to meet their needs. That’s likely to be compounded by restrictions to transgender health care that have already blocked some adults’ access to treatments in Florida, and sparked concerns the laws will expand to other states.
Transgender adults say they’re worried about finding welcoming spaces to live in their later years.
“I have friends that have retired and they’ve decided to move to retirement communities. And then, little by little, they’ve found that they’re not welcome there,” said Morgan Mayfaire, a transgender man and the executive director of TransSOCIAL, a Florida support and advocacy group.
Discrimination can range from being denied housing to being misgendered and struggling to get nursing homes to acknowledge their visitation rights.
“In order to be welcome there, they have to go into the closet and deny who they are,” Mayfaire said.
Morgan Mayfaire, right, walks with his wife, Ashley, Sunday, at Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, on July 23.Lynne Sladky / AP file
About 171,000 of the more than 1.3 million transgender adults in the United States are aged 65 and older, according to numbers compiled by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
The growing population has brought more services such as nursing homes and assisted living centers that are geared toward serving the LGBTQ+ community, though such facilities remain uncommon. They include Stonewall Gardens, a 24-apartment assisted living center that opened in Palm Springs, California in 2015.
The center’s staff are required to go through sensitivity training to help make the center a more welcoming environment for residents, interim executive director Lauren Kabakoff Vincent said. The training is key for making a more accepting environment for transgender residents and making them feel more at home.
“Do you really want to be moving into a place where you have to explain yourself and have to go through it over and over?” Vincent said. “It’s exhausting, and so I think being able to be in a comfortable environment is important.”
SAGE, which advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ seniors, offers training to nursing homes and other elder care providers. The group trained more than 46,000 staff at 576 organizations around the country in the most recent fiscal year. But the group acknowledges that represents just a fraction of the elder care facilities around the country.
People play games at an LGBTQ+ assisted living facility in Palm Springs, on Aug. 15, 2023.Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP file
“We have a long way to go in terms of getting to the point where nursing homes, assisted living and other long-term care providers are prepared for and ready to provide appropriate and welcoming care to trans elders,” said Michael Adams, SAGE’s CEO.
The gap concerns Tiffany Arieagus, 71, an acclaimed drag performer in south Florida who also works in social services for SunServe, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit.
“I just am going on my 71 years on this earth and walking in the civil rights march with my mother at age six and then marching for gay rights,” Arieagus said. “I’ve been blessed enough to see so many changes being made in the world. And then now I’m having to see these wonderful progressions going backwards.”
A handful of states, including Massachusetts and California, have in recent years enacted laws to ensure that LGBTQ+ seniors have equal access to programs for aging populations and requiring training on how to serve that community.
But the push for restrictions on access to health care has brought uncertainty in other states. Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors also includes restrictions that make it difficult, if not impossible, for many adults to get treatment.
SAGE has seen a spike in the number of calls to its hotline following the wave of anti-transgender laws, and Adams said about 40% of them have come from trans seniors primarily in conservative parts of the country worried about the new restrictions.
The limits have prompted some trans adults to leave the state for care, with some turning to crowdfunding appeals for help. But for many trans seniors, such a move isn’t as easy.
“You have the general fear, fear that is leading clinicians being concerned and perhaps stepping away from offering care, fear of trans elders of who is a safe clinician to go to,” Dan Stewart, associate director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Aging Equality Project, said.
Florida’s law has already created obstacles for Andrea Montanez, LGBTQ immigration organizer at Hope CommUnity Center near Orlando. Montanez, 57, said her prescription for hormone therapy was initially denied after the restrictions were signed.
Montanez, who has been speaking out at Florida Medical Board meetings about the impact of the new state law, said she’s worried about what it will be mean as she approaches retirement.
“I hope I have a happy retirement, but health care is a big problem,” Montanez, who was eventually able to get her prescription filled, said.
For Tatiana Williams, 51, the restrictions are stirring painful memories of a time when she and other members of the transgender community had to rely on dangerous and illegal sources for gender-affirming medical care. Now the the executive director of the Transinclusive Group in Wilton Manors, Florida, Williams remembers being hospitalized for a collapsed lung after receiving black market silicone injections for her breasts.
“What we don’t want is the community resorting to going back to that,” Williams said.
Still, older transgender adults say they see hope in how their generation is working with younger trans people to speak out against the wave of the restrictions.
“The community’s going to take care of itself. It’s as simple as that. We’re going to find ways to take care of ourselves and we’re going to survive this,” Mayfaire said. “And as far as trans youth panicking over this, look to your elders.”
A UK-based charity dedicated to LGBTQ+ people over 50 has revealed that many feel “excluded and isolated” in a community “geared towards younger people”.
Research by Opening Doors found people over the age of 50 “especially within the gay community” feel less visible due to being less likely to have “familial networks”.
Due to “distrust in the system”, the charity also found that older people often go without help from external support networks.
John Campbell, who identifies as androsexual, said his experience as an older LGBTQ+ person has been “trying at times, owing to the amount of emotional trauma”.
‘I feel excluded’
Campbell, 64, told Metro: “At times I feel excluded from the community as it is mainly geared towards younger people.
“A lot of this is due to the fact many people from older generations were lost to the AIDs pandemic. It wiped out a generation of movers and shakers, and has left trauma for so many.”
The term ‘androsexual’ refers to people who, regardless of their gender identity, are sexually or romantically attracted to masculinity.
Angela, who didn’t provide her last name and is trans, echoed Campbell’s thoughts regarding a shared trauma within the community.
The 59-year-old said: “The majority of people my age or older have lived through different times and share a common set of experiences and emotions associated with a far less accepting society.
“It is a less frightening place to be known as LGBTQ+ than it ever was when I growing up in the 1970s, 80s and even the 90s.”
‘It can be quite a scary and unsettling experience’
Head of fundraising and communications at Opening Doors, Jonathan Buckerfield, said the findings show the need for support systems suited for LGBTQ+ people as “everything is set up for straight people”.
“As we age, we become less visible in wider society, and this is especially true in the LGBTQ+ community,” Buckerfield said.
“We don’t have the same familial networks and we can find ourselves increasingly cut off from social networks and services. It can be quite a scary and unsettling experience.”
Buckerfield noted that past traumas linked to a time when being LGBTQ+ was less tolerated mean activities that focus on reminiscing are not as suited to older LGBTQ+ people.
“LGBTQ+ people also experience health inequalities, as they are more likely to struggle with alcohol and addiction – but they are also less likely to trust the NHS as straight people do, as they can remember a time when conversion therapies were offered,” he continued.
In March, older LGBTQ+ people spoke to PinkNews about the struggle they faced hiding their true selves from prejudiced eyes and fighting for their right to grow old.
According to GLAAD, the average life expectancy of trans women of colour is 35. For a cis woman, it is 78.
Despite the struggles faced by the ageing LGBTQ+ community, 92-year-old Betty proved that age doesn’t have to result in being cut off from the world as she had her lifelong wish to watch a male strip show granted by her care home in Hampshire.
LGBT older adults, defined in this study as those over 50 years old, face significant and unique challenges to health and well-being as they age. They are more likely than their straight/cisgender peers to experience social and economic barriers that prevent healthy aging. Research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased economic and social instability for LGBT people of all ages. However, precarity is not new for LGBT older adults and COVID-19 may be viewed as part of a continuum of disruptive events that impact the aging experiences of LGBT older adults.
Using data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (HPS) collected July 21, 2021 to August 8, 2022, we explore the demographics, health, and economic experiences of older LGBT adults during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared with straight/cisgender older adults. This analysis used the first U.S. Census Bureau data that has included questions about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), which gives researchers an opportunity to use a nationally representative sample to describe the health and well-being of LGBT and straight/cisgender older adults. The analytic sample was limited to 533,179 survey respondents who were over age 50 and could be classified as LGBT or non-LGBT based on their responses to the survey questions.
Key Findings
Demographic Characteristics
More people aged 50–64 identified as LGBT than those aged 65 years and older (4.4% vs. 2.4%, respectively).
In both 50–64 and 65+ age cohorts, more men than women identified as LGBT; the opposite is true for younger LGBT adults.
In both the age cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender adults obtained higher levels of education (50–64 cohort: 67% vs. 59%; 65+ cohort: 71% vs. 57%, respectively), and more LGBT adults lived alone (50–64 cohort: 18% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 25% vs. 15%, respectively).
Although far more LGBT people had never been married (50–64 cohort: 36% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 29% vs. 4%, respectively), LGBT and straight/cisgender people had similar rates of divorce/separation in both cohorts (50–64 cohort: 20% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 17%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
Overall, LGBT people showed more economic insecurity compared to straight/cisgender people. In both cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people received SNAP benefits and had household incomes that fell below 100% of the federal poverty level.
Not only did LGBT people have lower incomes and were more food insecure than straight/ cisgender people, they also more frequently depended on alternative forms of income and assistance to support themselves, such as relying on credit cards or loans, savings or retirement accounts, borrowing money from friends and family, and government nutrition and rental assistance to supplement their incomes.
Additionally in both cohorts, more LGBT people than straight/cisgender people rented their homes instead of owned them (50–64 cohort: 31% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 13%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White.
Among LGBT people there was pronounced economic disparity by race/ethnicity. In both cohorts, more Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial LGBT adults had household incomes that fell below the federal poverty level compared to White and Asian LGBT adults. Among those aged 50–64, exponentially more Black LGBT people were receiving SNAP benefits, while few Asian LGBT people were. In the 65+ cohort more Hispanic than White LGBT people were receiving SNAP benefits.
Additionally, compared to White LGBT people, more Black LGBT adults from both cohorts reported not having enough food to eat (50–64 cohort: 9% vs. 15%; 65+ cohort: 3% vs. 14%), renting rather than owning their homes (50–64 cohort: 24% vs. 53%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 51%), and having trouble paying household expenses (50–64 cohort: 28% vs. 46%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 41% ).
Compared to White LGBT people, more Hispanic LGBT adults from both cohorts reported not having enough food to eat (50–64 cohort: 9% vs. 21%; 65+ cohort: 3% vs. 14%), renting rather than owning their homes (50–64 cohort: 24% vs. 46%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 39%), having trouble paying household expenses (50–64 cohort: 28% vs. 47%; 65+ cohort: 18% vs. 40%), and keeping the temperature of their homes at unsafe levels (50–64 cohort: 20% vs 33%; 65+ cohort: 14% vs. 27%).
In both cohorts, compared to White LGBT adults, Multiracial LGBT adults reported keeping the temperature of their homes at an unsafe level (50–64 cohort: 20% vs. 31%; 65+ cohort: 14% vs. 33%, respectively).
Additionally, among those 65 years of age and older, the proportion of Black and Hispanic LGBT people who reported living in poverty, being food insecure, having trouble paying bills, expenses, and rent were about twice that of White LGBT people.
Health and Well-Being
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–October 2021) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
In both age cohorts, almost all LGBT people had received a COVID-19 vaccine and this proportion was slightly higher than among the straight/cisgender cohorts.
Additionally, in both age cohorts, White and Asian LGBT adults showed the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
Among those who had not received the vaccine, more LGBT than straight/cisgender adults in both cohorts said they planned to get the vaccine (50-64 cohort: 23% vs.; 65+ cohort: 21% vs. 15%, respectively).
Similar proportions of LGBT and straight/cisgender people in both cohorts had tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19 (50–64 cohort: 38% vs. 41%; 65+ cohort: 25% vs. 28%, respectively).
Among the 50–64 cohort, 50% of Asian, 46% of Hispanic, 43% of Multiracial, 36% of White, and 30% of Black LGBT adults said they had COVID-19.
Among the 65+ cohort, 45% of Hispanic, 36% of Asian, 23% of Multiracial, 22% of White, and 14% of White LGBT adults said they had COVID-19.
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate LGBT people are statistically different from straight/cisgender people.
In both cohorts, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people reported experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms (sx).
In addition, more LGBT than straight/cisgender people in both cohorts were prescribed medication for their mental health (50–64 cohort: 35% vs. 23%; 65+ cohort: 29% vs. 20%, respectively), were going to therapy (50–64 cohort: 18% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 9% vs. 5%, respectively), and reported needing help from a mental health professional but not getting it (50–64 cohort: 16% vs. 8%; 65+ cohort: 7% vs. 4%, respectively).
Compared to White LGBT people, more Multiracial LGBT people were experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms in the 50–64 cohort (Anxiety sx: 30% vs. 40%; Depression sx: 22% vs. 31%, respectively), and more Multiracial LGBT people were experiencing depression symptoms in the 65+ cohort (12% vs. 36%, respectively).
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White.
Compared to White and Multiracial LGBT people in the 50–64 cohort, fewer Hispanic, Black, and Asian LGBT people were prescribed medication; more Multiracial LGBT people were going to therapy compared to White and Hispanic LGBT people, and more Multiracial LGBT people needed therapy but did not get it compared to White and Asian LGBT people.
Source: U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey (July 2021–August 2022) Note: Bolded values indicate that race/ethnicity is statistically different from White and Black.
Compared to White and Black LGBT people in the 65+ cohort, fewer Asian LGBT people were prescribed medication or were going to therapy.
