The first survey California has conducted of its older LGBTQ residents found many are struggling with mental, physical, and cognitive health challenges. The issues are particularly acute among LGBTQ seniors of color and those older adults who are transgender or gender-nonconforming, the responses showed.
Titled "Survey of LGBTQIA+ Older Adults in California: From Challenges to Resilience," the survey findings are based on the answers 4,037 older LGBTQIA+ adults provided earlier this year to the various questions they were asked via an online form. It was more than double the participation mark that state aging leaders had wanted to meet with the survey.
"I cannot reiterate enough the positive impact this survey's results will have on the well-being of LGBTQIA+ older adults in California. LGBTQIA+ older adults often face a lifetime of unique stressors associated with being an underserved minority," noted Tanya Tassi, director of policy and advocacy at ActionLink, which is a program of the advocacy group for LGBTQ centers known as CenterLink.
An overwhelming majority (86%) of respondents reported their overall quality of life as "high," with just 14% saying theirs is "fair or poor." Higher percentages of people of color (18%) and trans individuals (22%) cited having a fair or poor quality of life.
Of the respondents, 13% were nonbinary, 4% genderqueer, 3% transgender women, 1% transgender men, 1% Two-Spirit, 1% another gender identity, and 2% answered questioning.
A majority identified as gay (58%) with 30% lesbian, 7% bisexual, 30% pansexual, and 3% queer. Interestingly, as it was marketed to out seniors, 4% of respondents said they were either straight or heterosexual.
The respondents heavily skewed white, at 84%, with the next largest racial group being Latino or Hispanic at 9%. Asians or Pacific Islanders and Blacks or African Americans both accounted for 4%, American Indians or Alaska Natives for 3%, and Middle Eastern or North African individuals 2%. Eight percent marked more than one racial category, while 3% said none of the ones listed "fully describe me."
About a quarter (23%) of the older adults rated their physical health as fair or poor. Seventeen percent of the survey respondents were people living with HIV.
Likely an undercount, according to the survey, but 15% of respondents reported experiencing worsening confusion or memory loss. One in five of respondents rated their mental health as fair or poor.
More than one in 10 (11%) respondents reported serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents had symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
UCSF researchers Annesa Flentje, Ph.D., and Carol Dawson-Rose, Ph.D., conducted the survey on behalf of the California Department of Aging. Openhouse, the San Francisco-based LGBTQ senior services provider, also assisted with it.
"This survey marks an important step in understanding the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ older adults, allowing us to take meaningful steps in shaping services that truly reflect and respond to this community," stated Susan DeMarois, a straight ally who is director of the state agency. "We're proud that so many respondents feel California offers a high quality of life, and we are committed to building on these strengths by addressing barriers and creating a more inclusive, supportive future for all older Californians."
The state agency released the 93-page report on the survey findings Monday, November 25. Anyone aged 50 and older who identifies under the LGBTQIA+ acronym and lives in California could take part in the survey, which cost nearly $900,000.
Respondents were asked about myriad concerns, from their health issues and insurance coverage to living arrangements, social activities and relationships.
The questions also inquired about such varied topics as HIV status and transportation to employment and end-of-life matters.
A little more than a quarter (26%) are struggling to make ends meet financially. More than one in five respondents reported worries about having enough money for nutritious meals, noted the survey report.
Almost one in five (19%) transgender and gender expansive respondents reported an income of $20,000 or less, according to the survey report. One-third have assets of less than $100,000. Twenty-seven percent of the transgender and gender expansive respondents and 14% of the people of color said they have less than $10,000 in assets.
Housing a top concern
As to be expected in a state that has struggled to provide affordable housing options to its residents, with such units specifically aimed for LGBTQ seniors especially sparse, roughly one in eight respondents are worried about losing their current housing. Northern California residents accounted for 65% of the survey respondents, with 35% residing in Southern California.
In terms of population density, 81% of respondents resided in urban areas, 14% resided in suburban areas, and 4% resided in rural areas, noted the report. The greatest numbers of survey respondents were from the San Francisco Bay Area (1,660), followed by the Inland Empire (607), and Los Angeles County (453).
It also found that "a large proportion of LGBTQIA+ older adults are working past age 67 — typical retirement age: 21% of cisgender LGBTQIA+ respondents; 26% of transgender and gender expansive participants. A larger proportion of Middle Eastern or North African (39%) and Black or African American (32%) respondents were working past retirement age."
The intent of the survey is to identify gaps in the needs of the state's LGBTQ older population and highlight priorities for both the state aging department and lawmakers in Sacramento. It also ties into the state's Master Plan for Aging, a 10-year blueprint mapping out numerous initiatives and steps policymakers can take to assist people as they age in the Golden State.
It is used as a basis for what goals the aging department sets during each two-year legislative session in the Legislature. The plan does take into account the needs of the LGBTQ community, and the survey findings will further bolster the initiatives the state agency undertakes in the years to come.
The report included a wealth of suggestions state and local policymakers can take to improve the lives of older LGBTQ adults. They run the gamut from specific services to offer seniors to increasing the funding allocated to LGBTQ senior services providers.
"We strive to make California a place where all LGBTQIA+ individuals feel safe, included, and supported with a strong sense of belonging. California remains focused on our commitment to leveraging data and partnering with communities to achieve equity for all ages and abilities," stated California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson, who was appointed to the position in September by Governor Gavin Newsom. "I look forward to continued collaboration with LGBTQIA+ older adults and allies to advance the opportunities identified in this survey. We are committed to fostering multisector, person-centered strategies which help to address the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ older adult community as, together, we build a California for ALL."
Because the U.S. census doesn't ask about people's sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) on the forms used for the decennial count of the country's population, there is no exact picture of how many Californians over the age of 50 are LGBTQ. According to the LGBTQ senior survey report, more than 10.3 million Californians are projected to be 60 or older by 2030.
UCLA think tank The Williams Institute released a report last year estimating the number of LGBTQ adults age 18 and older living in California was 1,459,600. The senior survey report noted that about 5% of California's 39 million residents are estimated to be LGBTQIA+.
The survey report can be downloaded here.
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