by AnnMarie Costella, Chronicle Reporter
Printed in the Queens Chronicle on 08/05/2010
 
Any senior will tell you that it’s hard enough becoming an older adult and facing a new variety of physical, emotional and mental health issues. But if you are a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender senior these changes are magnified ten-fold.

“LGBT seniors face unique challenges and problems that can serve as barriers to the kinds of services and programs that some seniors take for granted,” said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), who is gay. “Programs like SAGE are sensitive to these challenges and work to help prevent the isolation and depression that some LGBT seniors can face.”

Founded in 1978, SAGE is a national group based in New York that advocates on behalf of LGBT seniors through a variety of programs and partnerships. It aims to foster a greater understanding of aging in all communities and promote positive images of LGBT life in later years.

Part of the problem that a lot of LGBT elders face stems from the fact that many health and social service providers do not consider that their clients may be members of the LGBT community and often do not know how to help them in a culturally sensitive and effective way. Some may even be discriminatory, which places extra barriers between seniors and the help they need, according to a report by SAGE.

One out of every two participants in a survey of 24 federal agencies on aging, reported that openly gay older adults would not be welcome at senior centers in their area and 96 percent did not offer any LGBT-oriented services, the report says.

This discrimination is part of a painful shaming process that often traumatizes gay seniors, forcing them back into the closet. They often believe that hiding their sexual orientation is the best strategy for allowing them to get the help they need.

Van Bramer, who says that when it comes down to it “most people are good people,” doesn’t worry too much about being discriminated against as an older person.

“I hope to live long enough to be a member of SAGE and the senior community,” Van Bramer said. “I hope that when I am older I am able to be who I am and grow older with my partner and that we can live well.”

By 2030, the number of LGBT people age 65 and over will increase by 60 percent from an estimated 2.8 million to 4.7 million, according to SAGE.

As LGBT people age, they often become estranged from their families and unlike other groups are less likely to have children and grandchildren that they can turn to for support, which can be detrimental to their quality of life.

The concerns and perspectives of gay seniors are often absent from local and national policy discussions on aging. With an annual budget of $3.5 million and a staff of 30, SAGE is focusing on changing that.

Their vision for the future includes transforming the national landscape on aging by ensuring that LGBT seniors have a “powerful and organized advocacy voice,” providing leadership.

SAGE-Queens, located in Room 409 of Queens Community House in Jackson Heights, is the only senior center in the borough of Queens that caters to the LGBT elder population on a full-time basis.
The center promotes a “clubhouse” atmosphere where members can feel welcome and be who they are. A social worker is on-site on Mondays and Fridays for those members who need case assistance. SAGE-Queen’s daily events range from health and wellness programs to an active walking club.

“Many GLBT seniors view themselves as outsiders, not accepted by mainstream society,” said John Nagel, director of SAGE-Queens. “Being older and dealing with discrimination is an issue they have been familiar with their whole lives, it is not something that just happened to them as they got older, and it’s simply a part of their lives.”

City Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) says officials need to think long term when it comes to affordable housing and the availability of LGBT programming. When asked if he had any advice for gay seniors in Queens, Dromm said, “Come out. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy because we inhibit ourselves. Reach out to groups like SAGE. Keep up your self-esteem.”