Welcome Home: LGBT Older adults
and Fair Housing
Photo of local constituent
or SAGE participants
Sadiya Abjani
Training Specialist
Coordinates Nationwide
Trainings
Creates and manages
online training material
We are the voice of LGBT older adults receiving care.
Annual in-person or web-based training credentials
www.sageusa.care
During this training you will
learn…
 About the unique needs of LGBT older adults
 Tips for responding to bias behavior between
roommates or neighbors
 An overview of federal protections that apply to
LGBT people
 Best practices to help create a compliant and
supportive environment for current and future
older LGBT residents
Intersectionality
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Intersectionality
For example:
deciding whether
or not to come out.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Why do I need to
know if our residents
are LGBT?
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
2014
3 million
Gay and Lesbian Elders
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Population of Chicago:
2.7 million
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
7 million
3 million
2014
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
2030
Gender
Identity
Sexual
Orientation
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
The gender you feel you
are on the inside.
Your primary physical,
romantic, and/or emotional
attraction to other people.
Sexual
Orientations
Sexual
Orientations
Straight or Heterosexual
Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Sexual Preference
Homosexual
Sexual Orientation
…
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Gender
Identities
Gender
Identities
Cisgender
Cis: “on this or the same side of”
Transgender
Trans: “on or to the other side of”
…
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Gender
Identity
Everyone has both…
Sexual
Orientation
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Transgender
Any other letters?
Queer
Questioning
Ally
Intersex
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
There are some protections for LGBT
people, and things are certainly
getting better. Why are they afraid to
openly identify as LGBT?
Let’s look at one woman’s
experience…
Carla is born in 1937
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
1950s
Carla is 16 years old
in 1953
President
Eisenhower calls for
the dismissal of
homosexuals from
government service.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
1970s
Carla is 36 years old in 1973
The American Psychiatric
Association declares
homosexuality is not a mental
disorder.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
1990s
Carla is 59 years old in
1996
DOMA (Defense of
Marriage Act) is passed
and signed, prohibiting
the federal government
from recognizing
same-sex marriages.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
2000s
Carla is 66 years old
in 2003
The U.S. Supreme
Court invalidates the
remaining laws that
had criminalized
same-sex sexual acts.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
2010s
Carla is 78 years old in
2015
The U.S. Supreme
Court extends marriage
equality to all 50 states.
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
What kind of impact might these events
have had on an LGBT identified
person?
• They came of age at a time when
there was great prejudice and
violence against LGBT people
• Medical label of “mental disorder”
validated the prejudice
• This history may make people less
willing to be open about their LGBT
identity
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2015
The Facts
A 2013 study found
“LGB older adults had
higher risk of disability,
poor mental health,
smoking, and excessive
drinking than did
heterosexuals.”
40% of LGBT older
adults say their
healthcare
providers do not
know their sexual
orientation.
Out and Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
“Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults: Results From a Population-Based Study”
and
Older Adults,
Ages 45-75.
http://www.sageusa.org/
KarenTransgender
I. Fredriksen-Goldsen,
PhD, Hyun-Jun
Kim, PhD,
Susan E. Barkan, PhD, Anna Muraco, PhD, and Charles P. Hoy-Ellis,
MSW
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
The Facts
The Facts
40% of LGBT older
adults say their social
networks have
become smaller, as
compared to 27% of
non-LGBT people.
Out and Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Older Adults, Ages 45-75. http://www.sageusa.org/
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
The Facts
The Facts
1 in 4 transgender
older adults reports
discrimination when
seeking housing.
Out and Visible: The Experiences and Attitudes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Older Adults, Ages 45-75. http://www.sageusa.org/
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2016
FairHousing
Housing Basics
Providers
What can we do to ensure that LGBT older
adults are welcomed into our housing?
Fair Housing
Housing Basics
Fair
Basics
“It is the policy of the United States to
provide, within constitutional limitations, for
fair housing throughout the United States.”
Protected
Classes
Prohibited
Activities
Accessibility
Federally Protected
Classes
Federal
Protected
Classes
• Race
• Color
• National Origin
• Sex
• Religion
• Familial Status
• Disability
Sex refers to a person’s
biological status and is typically
categorized as male, female, or
intersex.
Extensive work has been done
to establish that “sex” within
housing law includes
protection for Transgender
individuals.
Federal Guidelines
• HUD Equal Access Rule
– Automatic Protections for Marital Status,
Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and
Sexual Orientation for Federally Funded
projects.
• Nursing Home Reform Act
– Requires nursing homes to “protect and
promote the rights of each resident”
Local Protected Classes
• Sexual Orientation - Your primary physical, romantic,
and/or emotional attraction to other people.
• Gender Identity – The gender you feel you are on the
inside.
• Gender Expression – How you present the gender you
feel you are on the inside.
• Marital Status – single, divorced, partnered, etc. With the
marriage equality rulings, Marital Status protection now
clearly protects same sex couples.
Local Protected Classes
New York State
• Age
• Marital Status
• Military Status
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity
Pennsylvania
• Age
• Ancestry
• Use or training of
guide/support animal
Ron and Larry
Ron and Larry are a gay couple who
recently moved into your community. As they
walk through the lobby you hear another
community member say a homophobic word
under his breath. You can tell it has made
Ron and Larry uncomfortable, and they
leave before you can speak to them.
Responding to Bias
• Emphasize the behavior, not the person
– “Your comment made them uncomfortable”
• Move the focus from individual responsibility
to creating an environment in which everyone
feels respected
– “We want everyone to feel like they can be
themselves here”
• Both initiator and target should receive
individual attention soon after the incident
– Speak with all parties separately.
Non Discrimination Policy
• Openly display a non-discrimination policy
that includes language about providing fair
housing to all individuals.
– Ron and Larry know they are protected.
• Create clear feedback and reporting
– Ron and Larry know how to report harmful
interactions.
• LGBT people may fear retaliation
– Create safe and anonymous feedback
Creating Welcoming
Spaces
• Ensure that staff always use
preferred names and pronouns
– This demonstrates respect
• Use visual cues that convey
inclusion (such as rainbows or
ally stickers)
– Tells Ron and Larry they are welcome
We are the voice of LGBT older adults receiving care.
Annual in-person or web-based training credentials
www.sageusa.care
Final Reflections
Sadiya Abjani
[email protected]
www.sageusa.org
www.lgbtagingcenter.org
© SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) 2015