Out And Aging An LGBT Population Profile
There is a growing population among the LGBT community: our seniors. According to the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, there are currently an estimated 3 million LGBT elders in the United States. By 2030, that number will nearly double. The Baby Boomers are aging, and among them are lesbian, gay and transgender seniors that are redefining what aging should look and feel like. They’re coming out of multiple closets (to their friends, families, social workers, and doctors), telling their stories, empowering younger generations, and becoming their own advocates.
Many of these seniors have spent their whole lives hiding their sexual orientation or gender identity because of the generation they grew up in. Fear plays a large role in this. Some seniors have memories of police brutality, being disowned by their families, forced into loveless marriages, intense psychological re-conditioning, and overwhelming isolation. There are also seniors that claim to be “out,” but refuse to tell their doctors or caseworkers because of an internal fear of being refused public services. A study performed by the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, found that LGBT seniors who thought they wouldn’t be accepted at an aging center were five times less likely to step foot in the door.
But things are getting better when it comes to the healthcare industry. According to retirement-living.com, The 2011 Healthcare Equality Index found that nearly 90 percent of participating healthcare facilities include sexual orientation in their Patient’s Bill of Rights and/or non-discrimination policy, but only 60 percent include gender identity in these policies.”
Things get a little more complicated with financial and legal issues. Social Security pays survivor benefits to widows and widowers, but not to surviving spouses of same-sex life partners. Medicaid regulations protect the assets and homes of married spouses but offer no such protection to same-sex partners. Tax laws discriminate against same-sex partners, costing the surviving partner thousands of dollars a year. LGBT couples have to set up extra legal frameworks, such as powers or attorney and joint tenancy agreements, which can be overwhelming.
It does get better, though! Major advocacy groups such as AARP are finally recognizing issues affecting LGBT seniors, and there is a federally funded coalition led by Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) and the Transgender Aging Network (TAN). Affordable senior housing and specialty nursing homes are also popping up all over the nation.
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