LGBT Seniors' Groups

LGBT Ageing Action Group (QAHC)

Are you lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)?

Do you work in the aged care/seniors sector?

Are you concerned about the needs of LGBT seniors?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then the LGBT Ageing Action Group might be for you.

The Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC), Queensland’s largest LGBT health and community organisation, has established the LGBT Ageing Action Group.  The Action Group brings together LGBT seniors, LGBT community groups and mainstream aged care/seniors organisations to address the needs of LGBT seniors.

The group undertakes research, training, policy development, resource development and social events for LGBT seniors.

The work of the group is unfunded, so we need your help to provide support to services and LGBT seniors.  The group meets every two months and is open to all those with an interest.

If you want to find out more, or come along to a meeting of the group, please visit www.qahc.org.au/seniors or contact Paul Martin pmartin@qahc.org.au or 3017 1791.

Mature Aged Men

A social club for gay men and their admirers.  Meet at the Sportsman Hotel
the last Saturday of the month all year round at 4.30pm.

www.acon.org.au

Older Wiser Lesbians (OWLS)

Social group for Lesbians aged 35 and over, situated in Brisbane.

www.owlsbrisbane.com.au  
 

Information, Research and Current Issues 

Ageing Issues for older LGBT Australians

Older LGBT people are not all the same, there are generational differences within this diverse group. Those who grew up pre gay liberation have endured a lifetime of having been vilified as 'sinners' by the church, 'criminals' in law, and pathologised by medicine. Consequently, this group experiences ageing differently and has distinct needs compared to the baby boomer cohort which is now approaching retirement. After a number of decades of social progress, this cohort has lived openly as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. However, the current invisibility of LGBT issues in government ageing policies and the aged care sector in general means that older LGBT Australians do not now and will not in the future have access to adequate support and care to address their health and wellbeing needs. For many, getting older means an increased fear of being "outed" after a lifetime of avoiding disclosure, or a fear of being sent back into the closet to avoid facing discrimination at a particularly vulnerable time in their lives. This information is provided courtesy of LGBT Health website.

www.lgbthealth.org.au/ageing

University of Queensland Research Project: Diversity & Older People's Care Networks

• Are you aged 60 years or over?
• Do you identify as gay or lesbian?
• Do you receive care or emotional support from other peoplein relation to a health need or disability?

We need you for a research project funded bythe University of Queensland about the networks of people who provide care to gay and lesbian seniors.
We would like to interview you, as well as the people involved in your care. This may include partners, family members and friends, as well as paid or employed care providers.
Total confidentiality guaranteed. If you change your mind about participation - no worries! Interviews at times and places convenient to participants.
If you would like to be involved or know someone who might be interested or for more information contact:
Mark Hughes T: 0405 386 976, E: m.hughes5@uq.edu.au
Sue Kentlyn T: 3379 7273, E: dryad@internode.on.net

Dementia, Lesbians and Gay Men
Alzheimer's Australia - Living with dementia
Paper 15 October 2009
Heather Birch

Alzheimer’s Australia, ACON – Australia’s largest community-based gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender and Intersex (GLBTI) health and HIV/AIDS organisation – and Aged and
Community Services Association of NSW & ACT are pleased to announce the new
discussion paper, ‘Dementia, Lesbian and Gay Men’ which was launched by the Hon. Michael
Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia, on Thursday 19 November 2009.

Alzheimer’s Australia’s discussion paper, ‘Dementia, Lesbian and Gay Men’, provides
practical advice on the issues many lesbians and gay men with dementia and their carers
may face. In addition, it is a valuable resource for practitioners working in health care and
related fields.

www.alzheimers.org.au/upload/Paper_15_final_web.pdf