User:Jhipp25/Retirement
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[edit] LGBT retirement
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face a range of issues not commonly experienced by their heterosexual counterparts during aging. LGBT individuals are less likely to have strong family support systems in place to have relatives to care for them during aging. They are twice as likely to enter old age living as a single person; and two and a half times more likely to live alone. Because discrimination and harassment still exist, they are less likely to access health care, housing, or social services. When using such services to meet our needs, they often have to cope with others’ homophobia or ignorance.
Additionally, because of legal protections for partnership, most gay and lesbian partners face additional financial difficulties related to tax burdens, health insurance, and inheritance rights, many of which becoming particularly acute later in life. It is still legal to fire gay or lesbian seniors in 34 states because of their sexual orientation. Surviving lesbian and gay partners face different financial difficulties upon the death of their loved one. They are not eligible for the Social Security survivor benefits as is a heterosexual married partner, heavily taxed on retirement plans—401(k) or IRA—inherited from partners, while married partners inherit these plans tax-free, and charged estate tax on inheritance of home, even if jointly owned, a tax that does not apply to married spouses.
Despite advances in the acceptance of lesbians and gay men in many aspects of American life and more individuals living “out,” most retirement communities still do not welcome lesbians and gay men as residents. Almost no communities address this issue in their policies or practices, and few offer cultural competency training for their staff in working with the LGBT community. For decades, lesbians and gay men have entered retirement communities only by retreating to “the closet,” pretending to be sisters or cousins, or couples have split up and entered as individuals rather than as partners. Many others forego the option completely, unwilling to live in a community where they would have to hide their identity and history.
Current studies document homophobic policies and practices by nursing home administrators, Area Agencies on Aging directors, and health care providers, as well as out-right discrimination and mistreatment by staff in long-term care facilities. Thus, lesbians, gay men and transgender individuals are five times less likely to seek adequate health care or needed social services out of fear of discovery and ridicule.
As a result, a trend in the active adult and retirement community housing market is the creation of communities specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies.
External Links
Gay and Lesbian Association of Retired Persons
Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network
Birds of a Feather Resort Communities - Pecos, New Mexico
Open Circle Communities - Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Palms of Manasota - Palmetto, Florida
Paradise One - Easthampton, Massachusetts
Rainbow Vision Properties - RainbowVision
