The LGBTQ Center Long Beach

We need your support! | Older Adult Services

Your donation to the Older Adult Services Program will enable us to continue offering a variety of activities, including weekly gatherings, lunches, affinity groups, outings, case management, and our annual Senior Prom event. This special event brings the community together to celebrate prom, providing an opportunity for those who may have missed it during their high school years due to the need to hide their true selves. Our services are specifically designed for individuals aged 55 and older. We understand the unique needs and interests of LGBTQ older adults, and our program aims to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where they can connect, engage, and thrive.

Unique Disparities that LGBT Older Adults live with.

• More than 39 million people in the U.S. are age 65 years or older including 2.4 million people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).
• As a group, LGBT older adults experience unique economic and health disparities. LGBT older adults may disproportionately be affected by poverty and physical and mental health conditions due to a lifetime of unique stressors associated with being a minority and may be more vulnerable to neglect and mistreatment in aging care facilities. They may face dual discrimination due to their age and their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Social isolation is also a concern because LGBT older adults are more likely to live alone, more likely to be single and less likely to have children than their heterosexual counterparts.
• One-third of LGBT older adults live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
• 59 percent of LGBT older people report feeling a lack of companionship and 53 percent report feeling isolated from others.

Resource: American Psychological Association
Resource: Sage: Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders

Testimonials

• Offering the virtual Talk it OUT group saved my life.
• My friends encouraged me to get out more because I have been isolating myself since my parents passed away. I found the Older Adults Program, and I feel seen, welcomed, and I love coming here.
• I save my Tuesdays to come to Coffee Talk because I get to see everyone and have a good time.
• Thank you for offering what you do, it feels good to be around my community.
• It feels good to have a place to come, be myself and feel accepted.