Aging while LGBTQ

In the wake of a nightmarish legislative session for LGBTQ Iowans, a defiant Pride month has come and gone. Throngs of people gathered to celebrate in communities across the state from early morning until the sun faded into darkness, and buildings awash in rainbow hues stretched themselves into the night sky. Perhaps the best description of Pride month I have heard came from Jasper Bowles, Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs in Washington, D.C.: “I mean, Pride started as a protest. Now it’s a party — and a party that serves as a placeholder in case it ever needs to be a protest again.”

Much of the focus of late has been on youth: where they go to the bathroom at school, whether they should be extended the common decency of gender affirming chosen names and pronouns, whether or not they should be allowed to choose the time, place, and manner they come out to their parents, whether or not they should hear the word “gay.” In fact, so much of the anti-LGBTQ legislative hysteria has been related to children (who may or may not be LGBTQ themselves) that it almost seems other demographics have been forgotten.

For many LGBTQ older adults, being open about topics like gender identity or sexual orientation was a dangerous endeavor for much of their lives. According to the American Psychological Association, they often “experience unique economic and health disparities. LGBT older adults may disproportionately be affected by poverty and physical and mental health conditions due to a lifetime of unique stressors associated with being a minority, and may be more vulnerable to neglect and mistreatment in aging care facilities. They may face dual discrimination due to their age and their sexual orientation or gender identity. Generational differences and lack of legal protection may cause older LGBT adults to be less open about their sexuality. Social isolation is also a concern because LGBT older adults are more likely to live alone, more likely to be single and less likely to have children than their heterosexual counterparts. All of these considerations can be compounded by intersections of sex, race, ethnicity and disability.”

A few programs in Iowa work to address the specific needs of LGBTQ older adults. In Iowa City, the Senior Center hosts a Queer Elders group that meets twice each month to come together, share stories, and find community. One Iowa, a nonprofit based in Des Moines, hosts an annual LGBTQ Older Adults Conference where leaders in social services, medicine, and advocacy assemble to conceive solutions to the unique challenges of aging while queer. A shortlist of additional local resources for health care and socialization can be found on One Iowa’s website, followed by a longer and more targeted list of national service providers.

A search of the Iowa Department on Aging website turned up only two results for LGBT; both of the links led only to the same external national resource SAGE. There are no references to LGBTQ resources, initiatives, projects, or legislation within the state of Iowa evident on the Iowa Department of Aging page.

We may take some inspiration for additional measures from other communities. In 2022, Washington, D.C. instituted the HOPE (Housing Older People Efficiently) LGBTQ housing voucher. New York’s Governor signed a bill into law in October that offers expanded access to social services by clarifying the state’s interpretation of the Older Americans Act — essentially adding LGBTQ status as a priority consideration for identifying those “most in need” for services like Meals on Wheels or in-home caregiver support. Illinois passed legislation in 2018 requiring service providers to receive training in issues specific to LGBTQ older adults and requiring the consideration of their needs and experiences be incorporated throughout Department on Aging programming and policymaking.

We have the capacity to uphold the civil rights of LGBTQ Iowans, and we have done so as a state before. In 2009, Iowa shocked the nation by becoming the third state to legalize same-sex marriage. The backlash that followed saw three Iowa justices who decided the case in favor of legalization ousted. There have been legal victories for LGBTQ Iowans over gender affirming medical care, over including the name of a same-sex parent on a child’s birth certificate, over employment discrimination and more. After several years of oppressive policy stripping civil rights and dignity from LGBTQ Iowans, it might just be time to turn this party back into a protest.

Sofia DeMartino is a Gazette editorial fellow. sofia.demartino@thegazette.com