The other day, while looking in the mirror, I saw that time was catching up to me.  My hair was beginning to show signs of grey, and more wrinkles were appearing on my face.  Seeing this, I began to think of what my life would be like as a gay senior citizen.

Unfortunately, seniors in the LGBT community are often overlooked by both straight and LGBT society.  When discussing aging, gerontologists have not tended to view sexual orientation as relevant to their studies.  Even most national health surveys don't address sexual orientation when they research the elderly.  The fact is, though, that gay seniors face unique challenges.  They are twice as likely as straight seniors to live alone, and 10 times less likely to have someone take care of them if they fall ill. 

In a national survey done by New York-based SAGE (Services And Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Elders), the average American senior usually lives with someone else; two-thirds of LGBT seniors live alone.  Gay seniors are also at a greater risk of developing physiological effects, due to certain circumstances.  Many face discrimination in medical and social services, and a large percentage will be less likely to have proper health insurance.

By John "Jasz" Szlachetka, Feature Author

John Szlachetka, also known as Jasz to many of his friends, has been an activist, speaker, and writer for LGBT rights, for a number of years.  A former high school teacher, he has seen the discrimination and bullying  LGBT youth face everyday.   He himself has lived through discrimination and homophobia both from his family and society in general.  This has made him stronger and more determined to fight for the equality of his LGBT brothers and sisters.   Besides his activism, he also councels LGBT couples with problems that arise in their relationships.  He is also a pastor for the Universal Life Church.    When he is not marrying couples, he is saving them from crisis.   You can also find him in many different facebook groups, fighting along side his LGBT brothers and sisters. 

As a member of the 10,000 couples team, Jasz hopes to promote both the e-magazine, and to to bring more couples into our 10,000 couples family.  Now that Same-Sex-Marriage has become an important subject world wide, he wants bring together everyone in the LGBT community to fight for the rights of our community.

Comments(1):

1. Thanks Jasz

   Thanks Jasz for reminding us "young'ens" that we need to be mindful of the plight of so many of our gay elders. We absolutely need to remember those who fought against increadible and terrible prejudgice to pave the way for the rights we now are begining to enjoy, at a time when their very lives could be and often were at stake. Jeff Cobb

   Monday, August 01, 2011 Jeffrey