In 1967, when I was a young gay teen, I would go to the only under 21 gay night club in Hollywood at the time, Gino’s. There I would meet my friends and danced to the Supremes playing on the juke box. At that time it was illegal for men to dance with men in public and the police went to great efforts to enforce this law. But Gino was always one step ahead of them. When he saw the police pulling in to the parking lot, he would hit a switch that turned on all the overhead bright lights and turned off the juke box. We all knew to stop dancing or even touching each other in any way.
I often count my own blessings for having lived at a time of great social change and for being fortunate enough to ride that first wave of freedom created by the sacrifice of so many LGBT pioneers who fought for the first steps in that change.
Today those surviving pioneers of the baby boomer generation are facing the challenges of aging and like every decade of their lives they are changing the rules. Rules that have been adequate for generations of seniors are not acceptable today and must change. Issues of benefits, relationship recognition and supportive care all are in the throes of change as a result of our aging pioneers who are demanding that change.
LGBT widows and widowers who didn’t have the opportunity of legal recognition for their relationships before their partners passed will never receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Many have lost everything to distant family members who used the legal system to rob surviving partners of inheritance. As a result of this and other decades of challenges faced by our LGBT pioneers, they are disproportionally struggling with inadequate fixed incomes, homelessness and chronic health problems.
Due to decades of discrimination our aging pioneers are hesitant to reach out for assistance and are distrustful of a system that has chronically denied them civil and social rights. Often they have been estranged from their families for decades.
Those with resources are being targeted by private providers of assisted living and support services who call themselves “LGBT Friendly” but are not making any real effort to accommodate the special needs of LGBT seniors. Those individuals are susceptible to scam artists and those who prey on the elderly. Our senior pioneers are less likely to report such crimes because of institutionalized distrust of the police and the criminal justice system.
Our pioneers in need are fortunate to be living in the San Diego community. In general, there is a higher level of awareness and sensitivity to LGBT special needs among senior service providers thanks, in large part, to our elected officials and the LGBT leadership and service organizations.
The Greater San Diego Business Association has worked now for years on their Engaging Aging program to bring many of these needs to the forefront of businesses. The LGBT Community Center’s Senior Resource Program provides services, ongoing case management and support to hundreds of our pioneers in need every week.
The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation’s Aging with Dignity Initiative is raising resources for the services at The Center and to fund a countywide survey regarding the health care needs, disparities and barriers for our LGBT seniors. The fourth annual Reunion Party, which raises funds for these important issues, is being held at the Sheraton Harbor Island Resort Aug. 8. While last year’s sold-out event raised funds and awareness in a very fun way thanks to guest star, Emmy Award winning entertainer Leslie Jordan, this year’s event will bring these issues to a broader audience thanks to guest star, actor and comedian, Hal Sparks.
The Trailblazers are a volunteer group of community leaders that meets regularly at The Center, overseeing the county survey and acting as an advisory group to The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation. They also provide a forum for discussion of issues facing LGBT seniors in San Diego County.
One of the emerging questions is what do we mean by “LGBT Friendly”? This is a very critical discussion especially around senior issues. Unlike other special needs groups, public funding cannot be used for services or housing that is exclusively LGBT. This goes back to the long-standing fight over federal recognition of LGBT as a category for protection in the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Part of the consistent push back on this issue is the knowledge that with a category of protection LGBT people could be eligible for funding that would be exclusively for LGBT people.
The next best thing is to create programs and housing that are “LGBT Friendly”, but what does that mean to our community? I have met with senior service providers that have said they were “LGBT Friendly” because they did not discriminate against anyone. Well, that is just not enough. With the many special needs faced by our pioneer seniors, we need providers that are willing and able to tailor services to meet these needs with dignity and respect.
The Trailblazers have opened discussions about what constitutes “LGBTQ Friendly”, and have talked in terms of specific policies that would need to be in place by any provider, including mandatory in service training and a mechanism for letting the public know that they are “LGBTQ Friendly”. This is an even more urgent issue in light of the collaboration between Community Housing Works and The Center to develop and market the very first “LGBTQ Friendly” housing in San Diego County.
So as we turn our attention over Pride week to our “senior pioneers” who have sacrificed so much to bring us to where we are today, let’s recognize that for them the struggle continues. And make no mistake, you and I and future generations will benefit from the ground breaking work of our LGBT seniors and their advocates.
John L Brown MA Ed is the executive director of San Diego Human Dignity Foundation and a long-time activist in the LGBTQ community. For comments or questions about this article you can contact him at jlbrown@sdhdf.org. For ticket information for the 4th Annual Reunion Party, please call 619-291-3383 or visit the Web site at sdhdf.org.
I am a 73 year old gay man. I am fortunately able to live well on a fairly limited fixed income. I go to an occasional movie, but I must think carefully about my budget before doing so.
Although I would like to attend some of the big gay events in San Diego (such as the Gay Pride Festival, the Harvey Milk breakfast, Nightmare on Normal Street, etc.), I cannot because there are no discounts for seniors.
Also, like many seniors I cannot stand for long periods in the sun (or rain), so attending the Gay Pride Parade is not possible. For a couple of years here in San Diego there was funding available to set up some tents and seating for seniors to watch the parade. Free water was available, and one year they even gave away small personal fans. There was also a loud-speaker system and a commentator to explain who was going by. It was wonderful and popular — not all seniors could be accommodated. Then a couple of years ago the funding dried up. It would be a great service to seniors if that funding was restored — and even expanded so that all seniors who wanted to could attend.