Gay retirement village
LGBTQIA+ seniors have limited choices for aged care. Julie Peters went searching for options
In , when I was at an LGBTQIA+ ageing conference, I learned that as many elder gay people go into retirement homes, particularly those run by faith groups, some feel as if they have to go endorse into the closet. That they can't be their authentic selves.
That seemed so sad.
Then I thought: "That could be me in a few years."
I'm in my 70s. So, while I'm still youngish, I need to labor out what aged care options are out there for LGBTQIA+ seniors, and whether I'll be fit to take my whole self to one when I attain that stage.
As a trans lady, my authentic life didn't really start until I'd affirmed my gender. I didn't get to be Julie full time until I was in my late 30s. So, I was never myself as a teen or in my 20s.
And while I've always looked after myself, I can see I look older every year. Yet, because of my energy, joy for life and fashion, most people think I'm behaving more like a much-delayed to year-old.
However, I
Editor’s note: "Best Places for LGBTQ People to Retire Abroad" is part of an ongoing series on retiring abroad. To watch all the articles in the series, jump to the end of this article.
An irrefutable reality of being a member of the LGBTQ community, at any age, is that you must give more thought than non-LGBTQ people about where to reside. What are the local laws that apply to LGBTQ people regarding workplace and housing discrimination, marriage equality and conversion therapy? What does available universal polling reveal about acceptance of the LGBTQ community? Even if you’re not married and don’t schedule to be, or even if you no longer work, such laws — or the absence of them — suggest to LGBTQ folks how secure and welcoming the locale will be for them.
The above is true whether you’re LGBTQ and 30 — or a lgbtq+ retiree. You can’t just spin the globe. If you’re LGBTQ and are considering retiring abroad, it is incumbent on you to do more due diligence than your linear friends and family members would have to act in the same situa
LGBTQ+ UK retirement living: Discover the options
Posted by Rachel Bashford
This article will offer you the latest on:
- What LGBT retirement options are there in the UK?
- How advanced are other countries in creating LGBT retirement living?
- The future of flexible and personalised retirement living choices.
- Where can you find for individualised retirement living?
What LGBT retirement living options are there in the UK?
The latest numbers () from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) reported that an estimated % of the UK population aged 16 and over identified as queer woman , gay or fluid in , displaying a rise from % in
Interestingly, the study also revealed that, for the first moment in reported statistics, there had been an increase in the number of overs identifying as LGB, up from % of this age category in to % in
Noting the changes in societal attitudes, the ONS explains the data transform as being influenced by a greater acceptance in culture towards people expressing different sexual identities.
In truth, these altering attitudes are commencing to filter
Many Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) elders announce serious concerns about aging and retirement, according to the nonprofit group Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE).
For years, LGBT retirees have suffered indignities during their final years. For example, same-sex partners contain been denied the opportunity to share the similar room, staff members who personally object to homosexuality have treated LGBT elders insensitively, and finances and benefits normally given to heterosexual partners have been withheld from surviving gay partners. Many seniors sense they need to travel back into the closet when they enter the senior care system.
The loneliness and isolation that can accompany aging are often compounded by discrimination and the fact that LGBT people are less likely to have children and may be ostracized by their families.
While the situation has improved in recent years, there is still a demand for supportive retirement communities for LGBT people. Here are the LGBT-focused retirement communities and homes that are currently operating in the Together