Many retirement issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBTQ) and intersex people are unique from their non-LGBTI counterparts and these populations often have to take extra steps addressing their employment, health, legal and housing concerns to ensure their needs are met. Throughout the United States, "2 million people age 50 and older identify as LGBT, and that number is expected to double by 2030", estimated in a study done by the Institute for Multigenerational Health at the University of Washington. [1] In 1969, the Stonewall Riots marked the start of the modern gay rights movement and increasingly LGBTQ+ people have become more visible and accepted into mainstream cultures. [2] LGBTQ+ elders and retirees are still considered a newer phenomenon creating challenges and opportunities as a range of aging issues are becoming more understood as those who live open lives redefine commonly held beliefs and as retirees newly come out of the closet.
LGBTQ+ individuals are less likely to have strong family support systems in place to have relatives to care for them during aging. They are twice as likely to enter old age living as a single person; and two and a half times more likely to live alone. Because institutionalized homophobia as well as cultural discrimination and harassment still exist, they are less likely to access health care, housing, or social services or when they do, find the experience stressful or demeaning. [3]
Joel Ginsberg, executive director of the Gay Lesbian Medical Association, asserts "only by pursuing both strategies, encouraging institutional change and encouraging...and empowering individuals to ask for what they want will we end up with quality care for LGBT people." [3]
LGBTQ+ Aging Centers have opened in several major metropolitan areas with the goal of training long-term care providers about LGBT-specific issues, an area of frequent discrimination. Legislative solutions are available as well: "California is the only state with a law saying the gay elderly have special needs, like other members of minority groups. A new law encourages training for employees and contractors who work with the elderly and permits state financing of projects like gay senior centers." [4] Twenty states prohibit discrimination in housing and public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation. [4]
Baby boomers are putting significant visibility on the elderly population of the United States, as well as significant stressors. The overall U.S. population age rises with the retirement of Baby Boomers. [5] Currently, there are about three million LGBT seniors above 65, with that number jumping to over six million by 2030. [5] According to a 2010 study of over a thousand LGBTQ+ 45- to 64-year-olds and a comparative group of the same number of baby boomers, drawn randomly from the general population, "all boomers have the same fears about aging, are struggling to finance their retirement, have similar caregiving patterns, and similar desires for end-of-life care. However, in some respects, LGBT boomers will approach retirement differently. They have withstood many years of discrimination and say their approach to retirement and aging has been shaped by their experiences. They express concerns about being dependent on others when they become infirm. Largely single and living alone, they will rely more on close friends than family for support as they age". [6]
Homosexual senior citizens are cited as being four times less likely to have children or grandchildren, signaling less of a support system for later-life circumstances. [1] According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, homosexuals are also twice as likely to live alone. [1] Many in such a community faced adulthood before the normalcy of same-sex partnerships and the legalization of same-sex marriage, and as such, never sought partnership status, benefits, or a long-term relationship in general. [1]
As more people continue to live with HIV and AIDS into old age, there are new points brought to light in terms of complications, needs, and services. stigma, especially among older people living with HIV, often affects the quality of life lived. It also leads to greater isolation in old age. [7] Stigma specifically can lessen quality of life and negatively affect self-image and behaviors, leading to the inability or lack of wanting to disclose HIV status or to seek care. [7] There is also an increase in mental illness compared to the general aging population, often associated with the same reasonings along with a lack of specified care. [7] Therefore, it is very integral that HIV care is provided in terms of mental health and other services to the affected elderly population at large. Administering necessary medications and coverage for such medications and cocktails is a concern and a necessity for the elderly community living with HIV/AIDs, to which there is a disproportionate number of LGBTQ+ persons. [7]
[8] LGBTQ+ persons were not regarded in a distinctly positive light until the advent of the 21st century, with previous portrayals being less than favorable. Seniors were even more disregarded, with most of the literature and knowledge throughout the latter half of the 20th century being focused on youth. As Berger and Kelly noted in Gay men and Lesbians Grown Older, published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1996, "The older lesbian...is purported to be a cruel witch. Cold, unemotional, and heartless, she despises men. Devoted solely to masculine interests and career pursuits, she has no friends and is repeatedly frustrated by the rejections of younger women. The older gay man is said to become increasingly isolated and effeminate as he ages. Lacking family and friends, he is portrayed as desperately lonely. He must settle for no sex life at all, or he must prey upon young boys to satisfy his lust." [9]
There is a fear of discrimination on various counts within the LGBTQ+ community, characterized by "GLBT people [growing] older and [relying] more and more on public programs and social services for care and assistance. They may have less independence from heterosexist institutions. The fear of experiencing discrimination can reinforce social isolation, placing people at higher risk for self-neglect, decreased long-term quality life, and increased mortality risk". [10]
By 2030, there will be about 120,000 to 300,000 older LGBT+ retirees in nursing homes. [11] Despite seemingly rapid change in the national perception of LGBT+ people in America, LGBTQ+ seniors face a unique set of challenges in housing. [1] Yearly, about four million fair housing violations occur, but even more so for those discriminated against via their sexual orientation. [12] [13] The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released findings of discrepancies among the provisions given by housing providers, resulting in higher response rates for heterosexual rather than homosexual couples. [14] In a specific case study featured in Michigan in 2007, persons who were LGB had "unfavorable treatment in 32 out of 120 (27%) tests conducted". [15] This leads to perception of discrimination among the LGBTQ+ population, with a survey of 127 LGBTQ+ adults showing that 73% believed that retirement settings were grounds for discrimination, with a large majority believing there wouldn't be equal access to social or health services, and over thirty percent believing it would be necessary to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity to remain in a retirement facility. [16]
In 1973, same-sex orientation was no longer viewed as a disorder, however, there has been much medical discrimination nonetheless.14 A 2002 survey found only three fourths of practicing physicians felt “very comfortable” taking care of an out LGB patient. [17]
In a 2006 LAIN survey of LGBT baby boomers, less than fifty percent had confidence that healthcare workers would treat them with “dignity and respect” on account of their sexual orientation, tainting the doctor-patient relationship. [18]
The Affordable Care Act (2011) allows many LGBTQ+ elderly to afford health care and apply for Medicaid or more affordable private health insurance, regardless of state. They also cannot be denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions when ill, as well as helping seniors under 65 gain access to Medicaid, providing free Medicare in certain cases, and lowering drug costs. [19] There is also the added implementation of the Elder Justice Act, providing a platform against mistreatment by providers and caregivers. [20] The law also includes spousal protections for those receiving Medicaid, to which the Obama Administration issued guidance to state directors that same-sex partners be treated the same in terms of the Medicaid coverage. [19]
Elder benefits are heavily defined by benefits falling under the "elder safety net" such as social security, medicate, medicare, and retirement plans. [21] The Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, prevented same sex couples from attaining some of those benefits, among others, that are often given to heterosexual counterparts. [21] When DOMA was in effect, LGBTQ+ people had lower rates of health insurance coverage than the general population due to higher costs from insurers. [19] Federal law treated a partner's insurance as taxable income, and therefore the retirees would have to pay taxes on it; heterosexual couples would be able to get such benefits tax free, without the employers having to further pay payroll taxes on them as would employers of LGBTQ+ employees. [19] Therefore, a lot of LGBTQ+ adults aren't offered such health care plans or simply can't afford them in the first place. [19] As such, the Supreme Court-led dissolution of section three of said act in 2013, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, opened up benefits to LGBTQ+ elderly. [22] Only states that had already legalized same sex marriage could gain access to such benefits thereafter, but Obergefell v Hodges (2015) then legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, therefore giving marriage rights and the retirement abilities that come with that to LGBTQ+ citizens. [23]
The transgender population of the United States has been fairly hidden until the late 20th century, not being exposed to the national spotlight until recently, and only being declassified as a mental illness in 2012. [24] As the earlier set of transgender population reaches retirement age, or as older persons come out as transgender, there are certain issues that have arisen. There is a large variance in medical treatment across the United States, for example; a lasting issue is the fact that many health insurance agencies “exclude coverage of transgender-specific health care, particularly surgery”. [25] There is discrimination in this regard and in others, with The National Transgender Discrimination Survey having cited that almost thirty percent of respondents faced verbal harassment in a medical setting. [25] About half of the respondents also had providers who did not fully cover or understand certain transgender needs. [25] In another issue, biological sex can contribute to certain diseases or health issues, providing a doubling of health issues compiled with the latter attained sex in correlation with their gender. [26]
This section needs to be updated.(July 2023) |
As transgender elders retire, they are often disadvantaged in the health care system. Medicare and many private health insurance coverages "carry specific exclusions for transition-related care, which are sometimes interpreted in practice to deny coverage to transgender people for even basic medical care". [19] The Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has reiterated the provision of "hormone replacement therapy and routine preventive care such as prostate screenings, mammograms, and pelvic exams, regardless of the gender marker in the individual’s Social Security record". [19] These providers and the transgender patients are often unaware of such rules or of condition code 45, created by CMS in order to avoid automatic coverage denials in cases of gender discrepancies. [20] Medicare also excludes sex reassignment surgery from its coverage, basing it as solely cosmetic. [19] The policy "also encourages private insurers, state Medicaid plans, and the veterans’ health care system to continue to allow similar exclusions that target care for transgender people". [19] [27]
The LGBTQ community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.
Egale Canada is a Canadian charity founded in 1986 by Les McAfee to advance equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) people and their families, across Canada.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Burkina Faso face legal issues not experienced by non-LGBTQ citizens. Although same-sex sexual acts are legal for both men and women in Burkina Faso, there is no legal recognition of same-sex marriage or adoption rights.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people in Cambodia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Although same-sex sexual activity is legal in Cambodia, it provides no anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people, nor does it prohibit hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Various issues in medicine relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. According to the US Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), besides HIV/AIDS, issues related to LGBT health include breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance use disorders, alcohol use, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, conversion therapy, refusal clause legislation, and laws that are intended to "immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove."
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Laos go unreported and unnoticed. While homosexuality is legal in Laos, it is very difficult to assess the current state of acceptance and violence that LGBTQ people face because of government interference. Numerous claims have suggested that Laos is one of the most tolerant communist states. Despite such claims, discrimination still exists. Laos provides no anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people, nor does it prohibit hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for any of the rights that opposite-sex married couples enjoy, as neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are legal.
Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) youth are significantly higher than among the general population.
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is America's oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older people, focusing on the issue of LGBTQ+ aging. According to its mission statement, "SAGE leads in addressing issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning aging. In partnership with its constituents and allies, SAGE works to achieve a high quality of life for LGBTQ+ older people, supports and advocates for their rights, fosters a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promotes positive images of LGBTQ+ life in later years." SAGE is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses on advocacy on the local and federal levels, as well as activities, groups, and programs that encourage LGBTQ+ older people to stay connected with each other and the community.
The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973; Hawaii being one of the first six states to legalize it. In 1993, a ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court made Hawaii the first state to consider legalizing same-sex marriage. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally, Hawaii law prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, and the use of conversion therapy on minors has been banned since July 2018. Gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights, benefits and treatment as opposite-sex couples, including the right to marry and adopt.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Oregon have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Oregon, and same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since May 2014 when a federal judge declared the state's ban on such marriages unconstitutional. Previously, same-sex couples could only access domestic partnerships, which guaranteed most of the rights of marriage. Additionally, same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed in the state under the Oregon Equality Act, enacted in 2008. Conversion therapy on minors is also illegal.
Transgender inequality is the unequal protection received by transgender people in work, school, and society in general. Transgender people regularly face transphobic harassment. Ultimately, one of the largest reasons that transgender people face inequality is due to a lack of public understanding of transgender people.
The United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has an LGBTQ+ Program through the Office of Patient Care Services. The “+” sign captures identities beyond LGBTQ, including but not limited to questioning, pansexual, asexual, agender, gender diverse, nonbinary, gender-neutral, and other identities. VHA began collecting data on veteran’s sexual orientation and gender identity in 2022 to inform policy and improve clinical care. There are estimated to be more than one million LGBTQ+ Americans who are military veterans. If LGBTQ+ veterans use VHA at the same rate as non-LGBTQ+ veterans, there could be more than 250,000 LGBTQ+ veterans served by VHA. Using diagnostic codes in medical record data, Blosnich and colleagues found that the prevalence of transgender veterans in VHA (22.9/100,000) is five times higher than reported prevalence of transgender-related diagnoses in the general population (4.3/100,000). Brown and Jones identified 5,135 transgender veterans receiving care in VHA using a broader set of diagnostic codes. Brown also notes that this methodology fails to identify transgender veterans who have not disclosed their gender identity to providers, those who don’t meet criteria for a diagnosis, or veterans who get their transition-related care outside of the VHA.
The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBTQ topics:
LGBT ageing addresses issues and concerns related to the ageing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Older LGBT people are marginalised by: a) younger LGBT people, because of ageism; and b) by older age social networks because of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heteronormativity, heterosexism, prejudice and discrimination towards LGBT people.
Gerodiversity is the multicultural approach to issues of aging. This approach provides a theoretical foundation for the medical and psychological treatment of older adults within an ecological context that includes their cultural identity and heritage, social environment, community, family system, and significant relationships. Gerodiversity encompasses a social justice framework, which considers the social and historical dynamics of privilege and inequality. In addition to issues of aging, gerodiversity includes race, ethnicity, language, gender identity, socioeconomic status, physical ability or disability, sexual orientation, level of education, country of origin, location of residence, and religion or spirituality.
LGBTQ psychology is a field of psychology of surrounding the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, in the particular the diverse range of psychological perspectives and experiences of these individuals. It covers different aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as issues of prejudice and discrimination involving the LGBTQ community.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was an early opponent of same-sex marriage in the United States, including during his Governorship of California. As an elected official he opposed legal recognition of same-sex marriage but otherwise he supported LGBT rights legislation, including civil unions.
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