I’m in my late 40s. I don’t consider myself old. But I do think about growing older—and about why we need to work now to address the serious challenges LGBT elders face. Please join me this Monday in raising awareness of these issues.
The number of LGBT elders is expected to grow to 3 million by 2030. Many of them, despite having been champions of equality, are forced back into the closet as they enter nursing homes and assisted living.
These issues were brought to light for me earlier this year when my mother, who is straight and cisgender, was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She needed to find room in a nursing home at short notice, and the only one that had space available was a Catholic facility. They were very welcoming, even to our Jewish family, and I have no complaints about the particular home—but it made me wonder what might happen if my spouse Helen or I were in a similar situation someday. What if one of us ended up at a home under the jurisdiction of a Catholic diocese or run by others who didn’t support our relationship? There are far too many stories of Catholic schools not supporting LGBT families and Catholic adoption agencies refusing to place children with LGBT parents. And Catholic facilities aren’t the only ones. What kind of a strain would such bias put on us and our care, and on our son in having to negotiate with them?
On a broader note, I simply feel we owe it to the generation of LGBT elders that came before us to help them live their later years with dignity and authenticity. They helped pave the way for the increasing equality we now enjoy; they are our role models in how to be an LGBT person in this world; some are our own parents or grandparents.
I’m very pleased Logo is premiering Gen Silent on Monday. The film profiles six LGBT elders as they navigate the challenges so many others also face—challenges that have in the past received far too little attention. Here’s how you can help, too.
How can my site/organization participate in #GenSilent?
POST: Run a post about the importance of lending a hand to LGBT elders using #GenSilent. Some suggested topics:
- How can we help LGBT seniors?
- Are LGBT elders invisible in today’s movement?
- How can we move the LGBT Elder Americans Act forward? It was introduced to Congress in July 2015 by Sen. Michael Bennet (D- CO).
SAGE has great resources to pull from.
Submit a link to your post at Mombian (at the bottom of this post), where it will be compiled and showcased with all other participants on November 9.
REVIEW THE FILM: Logo will provide a digital screener for you to review and respond to the film. (Contact Richard.ferraro@logostaff.com.)
INTERVIEWS: Interview one of the subjects of “Gen Silent” or director Stu Maddux.
GUEST POST: Run a guest post from a LGBT elder in your community. What are their unique challenges of growing older while being LGBT?
IN ALL POSTS PLEASE INCLUDE:
Raise awareness by including the trailer to “Gen Silent” and noting that it airs on Monday, Nov. 9 at 9pm ET/PT on Logo. TRAILER: http://logo.to/
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