“Intimacy is a powerful testament to a life well-lived.”
Aging (Re)-Focused is an original project spearheaded by AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) Policy and Advocacy and Pride Action Tank, with support from the AFC Research and Evaluation Team and Breeze Art Creatives. With this program, we aim to engage and amplify the voices of older LGBTQ+ adults and older adults living with HIV using photovoice.
Photovoice is a participatory action research methodology that engages people in strengthening their community through photography. Through photovoice, Aging (Re)-Focused highlights the perspectives and experiences of older adults around sexual health and intimacy. Participants of the photovoice project were asked to capture images in response to three core prompts: their personal understanding of intimacy, their perceptions of how others view intimacy among older adults, and the connection between intimacy, sexuality, and overall health and well-being. By engaging in these prompts, Aging (Re)-Focused seeks to reframe a broader understanding of sexuality amongst older adults and how it connects to health and quality of life.
Older adults in the program participated in two phases. In the first phase, they took a two-day training to enhance their ability to take pictures using their cellphones, building skills around basic elements of photography such as lighting, composition and perspective. While learning to be photographers was the main goal, we found an even greater outcome. Throughout the training, participants reported greater senses of self-empowerment and community.
Below are testimonies from participants after taking the training:
“The intent to bond with the community by giving a different way to look at everything was most impactful.”
“Bringing home a sense of community and an appreciation for all elements of the beauty around my day-to-day life.”
“Learning that I brought with me what was necessary to be a good photographer. I am inspired to make photography a part of my storytelling.”
“Suggesting to look beyond ourselves and take pictures of what we like as it may be very powerful to others. I learned a sense of depth, how to bounce lighting; all things have art and mood.”
“It opened my eyes to telling stories through pictures.”
In the second phase of the program, participants were invited to use the photography skills they learned by responding to the three core prompts on intimacy and submitting two photos per prompt. After receiving submissions, they reconvened to showcase their photos to each other and engage in a focus group discussion. Through the pictures they shared and their discussions, the participants touched on the multiple facets of intimacy and the various ways it shows up in their lives. Among them were emotional and spiritual intimacy, intimacy brought upon by physical spaces and photography itself, and the connection between intimacy, isolation and anonymity. What’s more, community building continued to be a touchstone of the program, providing a space in which participants were able to reconnect, reflect and speak on their shared experiences as a cohort.
“When we are looking in terms of intimacy for seniors within our community, I think we need to broaden that because I think too many times people want to just focus on the physical aspect. When I think as we age, that intimacy becomes a much broader topic: that conversation, that connection...”
“I found this project about intimacy really challenging. I never thought of intimacy without having another person involved. So, then I started researching intimacy. I found out if there's physical intimacy, mental intimacy, spiritual intimacy…I loved it but it really was a kind of broadening experience for me in terms of, ‘Can inanimate objects be intimate?’ and I guess it was all about my perspective. So, I really enjoyed it.”
Aging (Re)-Focused culminated in a gallery walk at the De-Siloing Aging, HIV & LGBTQ+ Services: A Summit on New Possibilities to showcase our participants’ photographs.
The summit was borne out of a rich history of HIV activism and fight for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) rights and demands for dignified aging services. Its goals were to:
1) Recognize the lives and sacrifices of long-term survivors, generations of LGBTQ+ people who lived without the protections we have today in the state of Illinois and those who died far too early from complications related to AIDS and/or violence directed toward LGBTQ+ people, and
2) Increase the capacity of the service sector to better recognize and meet the needs of older adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and/or are living with HIV and their caregivers.
Showcasing our participants’ photographs added incredible value to the summit’s discussions, especially on improving the quality of services that LGBTQ+ older adults and older adults living with HIV receive. Common stereotypes and misconceptions of aging paint older adults as not sexually active nor interested in sex and sexual health, and they often lead to misunderstandings of how intimacy plays a part in or redefines an older adult’s sexuality and relationships (either with self or others).
Sexual health is a major indicator for one’s overall health and wellbeing, and care providers must be proactive in prioritizing the sexual health of LGBTQ+ older adults and older adults living with HIV.
Ultimately, the Photovoice project aims to shift the conversation and highlight the nuanced experiences of older LGBTQ+ adults and older adults living with HIV. Sharing these photographs and narratives with healthcare providers, case managers, and other key stakeholders is key to fostering more inclusive, informative, and equitable healthcare that respects and addresses the needs of older LGBTQ+ adults and persons living with HIV.
Author's note:
We appreciate the dedication and contributions to Aging (Re)- Focused from Brissa Del Mar at Breeze Art Creatives, who led the photography, focus group discussions and trainings for the project. Thank you, Brissa!
