Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the current public policy dilemmas faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older people in areas such as economic security and employment, health equity and healthcare access, housing, HIV and aging, data collection and research, and major federal legislation meant to protect older people in this country. It summarizes the current research and literature on LGBT aging and offers an assessment of the national advocacy capacity of national, state, and local nonprofit organizations working to support LGBT elders. The chapter closes with future considerations for strengthening policy supports for a growing, vulnerable, and neglected demographic of LGBT older adults.
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Learning Activities
Learning Activities
Self-check Questions
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1.
What role do LGBT elders play in self-advocacy?
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2.
What are the barriers to inclusion of LGBT elders in discussion on aging policy?
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3.
What are the challenges faced by systemic data collection of LGBT elders in research?
Experiential Exercises
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1.
Conceptualize ways in which you can advocate on behalf of LGBT elders.
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2.
Develop an interdisciplinary approach in which LGBT elder can plan and implement self-advocacy strategies.
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3.
Start a letter writing campaign to state legislators and policy makers to promote fairness and equity for LGBT elders.
Multiple-Choice Questions
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1.
Which of the following contributed to a climate in which organizations such as SAGE could build it infrastructure and policy apparatus?
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(a)
Election of an LGBT-friendly Presidential administration in 2008
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(b)
Increased awareness of elders brought on by the aging Baby Boom generation
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(c)
Support of a handful of private foundations
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(d)
All of the above
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(e)
None of the above
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(a)
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2.
Which of the following is the largest organization in the LGBT aging sector?
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(a)
PFLAG
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(b)
SAGE
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(c)
AARP
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(d)
EEOC
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(a)
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3.
Which of the following is a barrier to accessing supportive communities for LGBT Latino people as they age?
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(a)
Biases of more conservative people of faith
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(b)
Lack of environments that embrace LGBT elders as people with multiple identities
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(c)
Compounding challenges of having survived discrimination rooted in their sexual and gender identity
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(d)
All of the above
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(e)
None of the above
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(a)
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4.
Which of the following legislation contains an array of barriers in affordable housing, HIV and aging, economic security, and employment?
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(a)
Older Americans Act
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(b)
Senior Citizen Protection Act
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(c)
Elders Anti-Victimization Act
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(d)
LGBT Aging Act
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(a)
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5.
When seeking housing in senior-living facilities, LGBT people often experience which of the following treatment?
-
(a)
Subsidized funding
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(b)
More information about additional units
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(c)
Required to pay additional fees or cost
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(d)
Undergo an abridged application process
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(a)
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6.
Which of the following usually impair LGBT elders’ financial security, healthcare access, and level of social support?
-
(a)
Broad definition of family
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(b)
Affordable Care Act requirement of routine medical tests
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(c)
Reliance of families of choice that are not legally protected
-
(d)
Extensive reporting protocols
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(a)
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7.
Which of the following is considered a landmark policy report for laying the groundwork and anticipates the policy advocacy movement on LGBT elders?
-
(a)
The Aging and Health Report
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(b)
Outing Age
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(c)
Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act
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(d)
Older Workers; Employment Preferences
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(a)
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8.
Which of the following legislation put into place a number of enhancements for LGBT people and seniors to prevent health insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions such as a person’s gender identity or HIV status?
-
(a)
Affordable Care Act
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(b)
Anti-Transgender Discrimination Act
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(c)
Senior Health Care Equity Law
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(d)
Medicare
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(a)
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9.
Which of the following is a systematic barrier to LGBT-friendly patient-centered health care?
-
(a)
Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity are stated negatively
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(b)
Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity are too intrusive
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(c)
Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity are rarely asked
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(d)
Questions about sexual orientation and gender identity are only intervention-focused
-
(a)
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10.
Which of the following is the primary reason for LGBT older people avoiding or delaying services?
-
(a)
Fear of diagnosis
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(b)
Fear of not being screened properly by medical professionals
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(c)
Fear of being identified by the wrong gender pronoun
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(d)
Fear of discrimination
-
(a)
Key
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1-d
-
2-b
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3-d
-
4-a
-
5-c
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6-c
-
7-b
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8-a
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9-c
-
10-d
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Espinoza, R. (2016). Advocacy and Community Needs Assessment. In: Harley, D., Teaster, P. (eds) Handbook of LGBT Elders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_32
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