Older LGBTQ+ Community Faces Growing Concerns Over Identity and Care
A new report highlights the challenges faced by aging LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK, including social isolation, financial strain, and fears of discrimination when accessing healthcare.
An aging demographic within the LGBTQ+ community in Britain is increasingly concerned about their identities being overlooked and facing discrimination, particularly when accessing care. A report from the Centre for Ageing Better suggests that older LGBTQ+ individuals experience poorer health, more limited finances, and greater social isolation compared to the general older population.
Without specialized support, this growing segment of the population risks being forced "back into the closet" when seeking healthcare, with some individuals delaying necessary care due to fears of homophobia. Adam Porter, a housing development manager at the LGBT Foundation, notes that it is common for older LGBTQ+ individuals to hide aspects of their identity, such as wedding photos or trans flags, when carers visit their homes or when moving into care environments.
"It's very common for people to hide things if they have a carer visiting their home, for example hiding their wedding photos or taking down a trans flag," Porter stated. "In the case of someone moving into a care environment, that means hiding who they are in their own home, for what could be the rest of their life."
He has heard "horrifying" accounts from older LGBTQ+ people, including instances of carers offering to "pray for them" regarding their sexuality. To address these issues, initiatives like Kindred House, an LGBTQ+ social housing scheme for over-55s set to open in Manchester, are emerging. Similar projects exist in Spain, Sweden, Germany, the US, and Canada, but are less common in the UK.
London saw the opening of Tonic, the UK's first LGBTQ+ retirement home, in 2021. The scheme, offering private rental and shared ownership apartments, gained significant attention and is slated to be featured in a Netflix documentary.
Despite the welcome development of such specialized housing, the Spotlight on Ageing report warns that the demand for these services is likely to outstrip supply as the older LGBTQ+ population grows. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of adults over 50 identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual in the UK rose by approximately one-third, from around 340,000 to nearly 460,000. This increase is projected to continue as younger generations identifying as LGBTQ+ age.
Porter emphasized that without more schemes like Kindred House and increased awareness and training for care providers, the aging LGBTQ+ population may struggle to receive adequate support. For individuals like Mindy Meleyal, a 75-year-old lesbian and steering group member for Kindred House, the prospect of more inclusive future living options offers reassurance. "It's important that you can go, that you think, 'You know what, I could live there because I know the staffing, the ethics, the rules, everything about the place has been put together from an LGBTQ+ focus,'" she said.