Prejudice does
not stop when one reaches the golden years, according to a
report in The New York Times. In fact, many
aging gays and lesbians are discovering that assisted-living
facilities, rehabilitation centers, and other
senior-living options are potentially full of
prejudice, both from staff and other residents. As a result,
LGBT elderly people face ostracism leading to
depression and sometimes even suicide.
One lesbian
checking into a double room of a rehabilitation center was
greeted by her roommate shouting, "Get the man out of here!"
A 79-year-old gay man, without friends or family to
advocate for him, was moved from his floor in a
nursing home due to protests of the other residents.
They put him with patients suffering from severe dementia
and disabilities. Though the home contacted an agency
to help with the matter, the man hanged himself before
a solution could be found.
There are no
federal laws protecting gay people against such
discrimination, and California is the only state that has a
law stating that gay elderly have special needs. This
law also permits state financing of gay senior
centers.
According to Gary
Gates of the Williams Institute at UCLA, there are an
estimated 2.4 million gay, lesbian, or bisexual Americans
over the age of 55. Because of this high number, and
the poor treatment gays and lesbians have reported,
there are a number of organizations set up to specifically
address these issues. Among them are facilities dedicated to
serving only members of the LGBT community and groups
that seek to educate care givers about the specific
needs of that community. (The Advocate)
