Who do you think of when you hear “LGBTQ+ Elder”? Perhaps we think of the trailblazers, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera. Or, perhaps we struggle to think of someone, and there’s a reason why. The media rarely shows aging and being an older adult in a positive light, let alone aging as an LGBTQ+ individual. And largely, LGBTQ+ older adults are aging in silence.

There are 122,640 LGBTQ+ adults aged 50 and older in Illinois, making up 24% of the estimated LGBTQ+ adults in Illinois. As LGBTQ+ individuals age, they face unique challenges and disparities in access to care. These disparities are rooted in discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, racism, lack of legal and social recognition, reliance on chosen family, and other social determinants of health and well-being.

From a 2025 SAGE study, it was found that LGBTQ+ older adults are:

  • 2x as likely to live alone
  • 5x less likely to have been married
  • 2x less likely to have children
  • More likely to face poverty and homelessness, and to have poor physical and mental health

But two things can be true, because while LGBTQ+ older adults face unique challenges, they are also living full and dynamic lives – and continue to make important contributions to our broader community. Take the Illinois Department on Aging’s Commission on LGBTQ+ Aging for example; a commission made up of visionaries and leaders that focus on uplifting LGBTQ+ older adults and ensuring they continue to live with joy, dignity and security. Often called the “first out generation,” our LGBTQ+ elders provide a possibility model, a blueprint to living and getting older, as Kim L. Hunt (Executive Director of Pride Action Tank) has shared in previous convenings. The LGBTQ+ community hasn’t had a blueprint like this in the past because of the historical erasure and oppression. And just as much as LGBTQ+ elders have something to give to younger generations, we also know that the reverse is just as true.

For National Honor our LGBTQ+ Elders Day, we talked with members of Pride Action Tank’s OUTAging Committee to dive deeper into the needs and experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults.

  • Antonio V. King is the first ever director of LGBTQ Affairs for the Mayor’s Office of Health and Human Services. He was also the first gay Black man to serve as the LGBTQ+ Health & Outreach Liaison at the Chicago Department of Public Health where he led multiple LGBTQ+ initiatives and showed an unwavering commitment to HIV prevention and health education. In his role as Director of LGBTQ Affairs, he continues to strengthen multi-sector LGBTQ+ efforts, support LGBTQ+ businesses, and is building a LGBTQ+ policy plan.
  • Nina Orlowski is the Aging with Pride Program Specialist at AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging for suburban Cook County, which creates and sustains programs and services that support people as they age. Orlowski’s work focuses specifically on social and educational programming for LGBTQ+ older adults and those who care for them.
  • Michael Stone is executive director of the Center for Disability & Elder Law. This nonprofit provides free direct services to low-income older adults and people with disabilities throughout Cook County. It also engages in advocacy work.

What does Honor our LGBTQ+ Elders Day mean to you?

King: It means not just respecting them as they live in our presence but also respecting and honoring the journey that got them here. It means honoring what it took for them to become the mentors and heroes that we know them to be today. And honoring the legacy that they’ve left and taking that legacy to the next level in ways that they may not have had the opportunity to take advantage of during their journey for us.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see LGBTQ+ elders experiencing?

Orlowski: I would say that social isolation is one of the big challenges for a number of reasons. While they face a lot of the same challenges that many older adults do, there is a layer of complexity because of the social and historical experiences that LGBTQ+ older adults have lived through, which makes them less likely to want to engage in traditional aging services. My work focuses on breaking down these barriers by creating opportunities for social connection and aging resource-sharing.

How would you describe the differences that an aging person might face compared to an LGBTQ+ aging person?

Stone: LGBTQ+ aging individuals and non-LGBTQ+ aging individuals can face some of the same issues, but it is critically more important that LGBTQ+ older adults protect their rights and wishes through legal documents. LGBTQ+ elders are less likely to have family members to act as caregivers, or sometimes their family members don’t always have the person’s best interests in mind. It becomes even more critical to name someone who’s going to respect an individual’s choices as they age, particularly when we think about issues of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

It is also particularly critical when we think about gender and gender affirming care and gender presentation. We want to make sure that if someone has spent their life fighting for certain rights, that as they age, no matter where they’re aging, whether that’s at home or in a skilled nursing facility, those rights that they fought for continue.

How could we be supporting our LGBTQ+ elders currently?

Orlowski: Creating intentional opportunities to bring folks together. I think intergenerational opportunities are even better because social isolation also exists among younger LGBTQ+ folks. When you create spaces where people can be themselves, being comfortable being out and supporting one another is super important. It is also important to make sure what you’re offering is accessible, affordable, and guided by their feedback.

Stone: I think it should be a regular part of the community where one generation is supporting the next so that the LGBTQ+ community has built-in support networks. When people are aging alone without support, they’re more likely to be subject to exploitation or discrimination. If we support each other intergenerationally, we as a community will be so much better off.

King: We can support them publicly with intentionality and inclusivity, including them in the rituals, observations and celebrations that we have within the LGBTQ and queer communities. Include them in decisions, meetings and public forums so that they can bring not just their wisdom but their presence and aura to the new work that is being done in continuation of what they’ve done. We can support them by ensuring that they have appropriate housing, health care, and financial safety. We need to be safeguarding that they are not exploited financially or physically harmed and are protected for the amazing human beings that they are to our community.

National Honor our LGBTQ+ Elders Day is recognized each year on May 16, and it is a reminder to appreciate the contributions and resilience of our LGBTQ+ elders. At AFC and Pride Action Tank, we are committed to this work all year. Visit Pride Action Tank’s website to learn more about the OUTAging Committee and how to get involved with us.

Learn more about the work that the OUTAging Committee members are doing: