Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults make up a large proportion of the LGBT community, yet are one of the most understudied populations. 

With 10,000 people turning 65 every day, many of whom are LGBT, it is essential that we understand the values, needs, wants and lifestyle preferences of LGBT older adults.

Now, a new report from SAGE, Out and Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Older Adults, Ages 45-75, explores the aging realities of LGBT people, as well as their fears, beliefs, behaviors and aspirations in areas such as healthcare, finance and retirement, support systems, housing and sources of information.

Download the full report here.

Out and Visible details findings from a uniquely comprehensive, nationally representative quantitative study on aging among older LGBT people.

When it comes to aging, LGBT older people are more concerned than non-LGBT older people with regard to personal finances, physical decline, remaining independent, loneliness in older age, support systems and physical attractiveness.

• One in two (51%) LGBT older people is very or extremely concerned about “having enough money to live on,” as compared to 36% of non-LGBT people; and
• one in three (32%) LGBT older people is very or extremely concerned about “being lonely and growing old alone,” as compared to 19% of non-LGBT people.

In regards to healthcare, the study shows that:

• 43% of LGBT older people who are single and 40% of LGBT older people in their 60s and 70s say their healthcare providers don’t know their sexual orientations; and
• two-thirds of transgender adults (65%) feel that there will be limited access to healthcare providers as they grow older. 

LGBT older people are also more likely than their non-LGBT peers to live alone and have smaller support networks over time.

• The study shows that about one in three (34%) LGBT older people lives alone (as compared to 21% of non-LGBT people), while 40% of LGBT older people say that their support networks have become smaller over time (as compared to 27% of non-LGBT older people).
• Of note, African American LGBT adults are three times as likely as White or Hispanic LGBT adults to say that people from their churches or faith are part of their support systems (26% vs. 8% and 8%).

Study participants also report greater discrimination in terms of finding housing, with one in eight (13%) LGBT adults and one in four (25%) transgender adults saying that they have been discriminated against when searching for housing on the basis of their sexual orientations or gender identities.

Out and Visible offers recommendations for healthcare providers, financial professionals, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies that can improve their offerings to LGBT older people so they feel safe and secure about their futures. It is important we learn all we can about this population; the more we know, the more we can help improve their lives over time.

Download the full report here.