Aging as LGBT: Two Stories

America’s population is aging: by 2050, the number of people over the age of 65 will double to 83.7 million (from 43.1 million in 2012). While the public perception of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is largely one of a young, affluent community, there are more than 2.7 million LGBT adults ages 50 or older living in communities across the country. This video follows the Tina and Jackie, born in the same town in 1947. Despite their similar beginnings, the women’s lives take very different turns and a lifetime of discrimination, lost wages, lack of family recognition, and more add up to create substantial difficulties for Jackie. Along with the video, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and SAGE published a report detailing the many challenges facing LGBT older people like Jackie as they age. Health and wellbeing, economic security, and social connections are among the cornerstones for successful aging, yet these are areas in which many LGBT elders face substantial barriers–stemming from current discrimination as well as the accumulation of a lifetime of legal and structural discrimination, social stigma, and isolation.