WHY WE ARE HERE

What You Need To Know

• LGBTQ+ baby boomers came of age just as the 1969 New York uprising launched a push for gay rights

• They’re often known as the “Stonewall Generation”

• Many LGBTQ+ older adults fear going “back into the closet” if they need long-term care or assisted living

We are very much a forgotten and vulnerable population within the gay community, and with the community at large, and just like all elders, we are often discarded .As a society, we have made great strides in LGBTQ awareness and rights that today’s LGBTQ seniors never expected to see in their lifetimes. LGBTQ+ elders face many challenges with respect to successful aging. First among them is social isolation. According to SAGE, they’re a group that's twice as likely to be single, and four times less likely to have kids than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. And since in the U.S. most long-term-care is provided by family members, many LGBTQ+ elders are facing the aging process alone. SAGE has an elder hotline where people can call if they have questions about LGBTQ+ elder housing. They also have a program called SAGEConnect where people anywhere in the country can volunteer to check in with an LGBTQ+ older adults in their community. More information on SAGE can be found here. 

For the first time in the USA we have a growing population of older LGBTQ people who lived openly when they were younger. As we age & need support services, we face bias, stigma, & discrimination from service providers not sensitive to our needs. Support must be maintained and even increased to community and social organizations that target older LGBTQ individuals. Community centers, places of worship and social organizations that cater to this community need to receive special training, education and resources that can help protect our vulnerable population. LGBTQ older adults are less likely than heterosexual peers to reach out to providers, senior centers, meal programs & other programs due to fear of sexual orientation or gender based discrimination & harassment.

In addition, a digital divide is plaguing our aging population…Older adults face an increased risk of loneliness and social isolation. Utilizing social media can help people stay connected or reconnect with friends and family. Using outlets such as Zoom or Facetime can allow one to communicate face-to-face with others without having to face risks in this time of the Covid Pandemic.

Silver Pride Project is fighting to Change The Scene because LGBTQ SENIORS MATTER! We focusing our efforts on securing equality in health care, housing, and decreasing social isolation in the Dallas/ Fort Worth ( DFW ) area so that no LGBTQ elder in our community has to go to bed at night feeling that no one cares whether they exist!