Navigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own

01/06/25 at 03:00 AM

Navigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own 
Northern Kentucky Tribune; by Judith Graham; 1/5/25 
Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he’s feeling worn out. Hall contracted HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, in 1986. ... This past year, Hall has been hospitalized five times with dangerous infections and life-threatening internal bleeding. But that’s only part of what Hall, a gay man, has dealt with. ... By 2030, the number of LGBTQ+ seniors is expected to double. Many won’t have partners and most won’t have children or grandchildren to help care for them, AARP research indicates. They face a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies. High rates of smoking, alcohol use, and drug use — all ways people try to cope with stress — contribute to poor health. Keep in mind, this generation grew up at a time when every state outlawed same-sex relations and when the American Psychiatric Association identified homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder. Many were rejected by their families and their churches when they came out. Then, they endured the horrifying impact of the AIDS crisis.

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