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Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders
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Issues > Older Adults
Compared to their straight counterparts, gay and transgender elders are twice as likely to live alone, twice as likely to age as a single person and four times more likely to have no children to call in an emergency. Not surprisingly, they are at greater risk for depression, substance abuse, mental and physical health complications, unnecessary institutionalization and premature death. Even scarier, 1 in 5 gay or transgender older adults say they would have no one to call in a crisis, a rate 10 times greater than the rest of the senior population.
While social services for older adults do exist, lifelong experiences with discrimination have made gay and transgender elders 5 times less likely to access the necessary services than straight seniors. According to one survey of agencies serving seniors in the U.S., half of all respondents reported that if the sexual orientation of gay older adults were known, they would not be welcomed at senior centers. It’s no surprise so many older adults feel they have no choice but to go back into the closet.
It’s time we gave a damn about our nation’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender older adults. Because getting older is tough enough, without the added burden of financial insecurity. Because no one should have to live with isolation and loneliness as their only companions. And because we all should be allowed to age with dignity. What affects our elders affects us all - because we'll be in their shoes one day. Isn't it time for things to change? Don't we want the next generation to feel safe, cared for, and affirmed at every age?
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