OLYMPIA, Wash. – May 16 is Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day according to the Washington State LGBTQ Commission. It highlights a part of the queer community that advocates say is often overlooked.
According to GLAD, an LGBTQ+ legal activism organization, queer seniors face unique challenges.
“Those who provide care for the aging are, as a whole, among the most compassionate and generous people, but often they lack the resources and education to provide appropriate and sensitive care to LGBT elders,” GLAD’s website states.
Lawmakers around Washington state have worked to address this problem by creating dedicated supportive housing projects for queer seniors.
In Seattle, the Pride Place apartment building offers living accommodations and community for members of the community over 55-years-old. The facilities are meant to offer residents a space where they can remain out and supported in later life.
According to SAGE, an advocacy organization for queer seniors, the alternative to finding an intentionally LGBTQ+ affirming space for people reaching retirement age is often returning to the closet.
“More than a third of LGBTQ+ people may hide their sexual orientation or gender identity when they go into elder care for fear of discrimination and mistreatment,” SAGE CEO Michael Adams asserts.
A research brief published by the National Center on Elder Abuse shows that queer elders face disproportionately high levels of physical abuse and emotional isolation due to their sexual or gender orientation.
Social groups and activism projects meant to decrease isolation amongst older generations of LGBTQ+ people have sprouted-up across the Evergreen State.
LGBTQ+ Seniors of the Inland Northwest connects people around Spokane and the wider eastern Washington area with community events and volunteering opportunities.
According to the American Heart Association, maintaining social connectedness reduces coronary heart disease and stroke risk for queer people.
While the day wasn’t celebrated with a panoply of events across the state this year, it did highlight the groups combating isolation and stigma for older LGBTQ+ Washingtonians.
This article uses the terms “LGBTQ+” and “queer” interchangeably to refer to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in accordance with the NLGJA style guide. Additional information on those terms can be found here.
