According to a great Newsweek article out last month:

• Gay seniors are twice as likely as straight seniors to live alone
• Gay seniors are 10 times less likely to have someone care for them when they are ill
• Gay seniors are half as likely to have health insurance than heterosexuals

We have reason to be concerned. These individuals face numerous challenges, but many of us are completely unaware of the hurdles they overcome each day. This is a population that lacks visibility both within the LGBT community and within the overall community.

As we learned from GoodAsYou last month, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) recently launched a new series of print ads aimed at increasing the visibility and education. The images of LGBT seniors will appear in New York print publications and on subway cards, phone kiosks, and bus shelters. These photos fall under the slogan, “Because there is no expiration date on a full, active life.” SAGE selected both staff members and those who they have close relationships with. These are real people, with real struggles and real stories to tell. I love their ability to capture the diversity of the LGBT population. It’s refreshing to see an ad campaign focused on LGBT seniors that truly reflects their lives.

A PDF of the ads can be found here.

To learn more about the challenges of LGBT seniors, please visit the Newsweek article, “Long Invisible, Gay Seniors Seek Respect, Services” or check out our Q&A with Michael Adams of SAGE.

Laura Nguyen

About Laura Nguyen
Laura Nguyen is a Kansas City-based communications professional with experience in corporate and multicultural public relations. She is an Account Executive in the Kansas City office of Fleishman-Hillard and is a member of FH Out Front, the firm’s global gay and lesbian communications practice group.