While that’s true of many older adults, the additional hardships LGBTQIA+ individuals face can increase the risk of adverse mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.įredriksen-Goldsen notes that one of the key goals of her research is to provide a road map for the development of better interventions for older LGBTQIA+ people. 62.5 percent of older transgender adults.This population was also disproportionately affected by the AIDS crisis, leaving a generation decimated by the epidemic.įredriksen-Goldsen says older LGBTQIA+ adults experience high rates of social isolation.Īccording to the Aging with Pride research, the rates at which particular groups experience social isolation are: In a fact sheet of study findings, 82 percent of LGBTQ+ elders reported being victimized at least once in their lives, with 64 percent saying they’ve been victimized “at least three times.”Ībout 13 percent had been denied healthcare or been given “inferior healthcare services.” About 41 percent of this group have a disability. They also show signs of higher levels of social isolation and negative mental health outcomes. She says older LGBTQIA+ people are at risk of showing signs of “significant health disparities” when it comes to chronic health conditions compared with their cisgender and straight peers. The study’s principal investigator, Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, PhD, is a professor and director of the Healthy Generations Hartford Center of Excellence at the University of Washington. This ongoing landmark study is the first and most comprehensive attempt to trace the realities of this population of older Americans.įor more than a decade, researchers have followed 2,450 adults from the ages of 50 to 100, examining the effects of a range of psychological, social, behavioral, biological, and historical factors on their overall health and well-being. That number is expected to climb to more than 5 million by 2060, according to data from the Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, Sexuality/Gender Study, the first longitudinal study of LGBT older adults. There are currently about 2.7 million adults in the United States ages 50 or older who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. She says she’s happy to be back living where some of those happy memories took place, especially in a supportive home dedicated to giving her a safe place to call her own. Nottingham fondly recalls taking her daughter to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and watching her take her first steps. Of course, there have been plenty of positive moments too. A recurring theme has been moments of feeling like she doesn’t belong and isn’t accepted due to her sexuality. At times she’s also experienced homelessness. In her youth, she experienced physical and sexual abuse. Like most people, Nottingham has had a life of ups and downs. The concerns that mark their day-to-day lives are frequently overlooked.
In a culture that often centers and exalts the realities of youth, little attention is paid to older queer people and the many intersectional identities they inhabit.
In addition, greater health disparities exist between white people and People of Color as well as between those who are cisgender and those who are trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive older adults.
Many older LGBTQIA+ adults face housing insecurity, abuse, discrimination, and negative mental and physical health outcomes. Unfortunately, Nottingham’s current living situation is not the norm for many older LGBTQIA+ people.