LGBTQ Seniors 2024 Episode Show Resources

LGBTQ initiatives within seniors’ organizations
LGBTQ activities or initiatives at seniors’ organizations offer spaces where LGBTQ seniors can come together, find support and overcome their isolation while accessing services available to all seniors

The Edmonton Seniors Centre
Established in 1970, the centre offers opportunities and support to seniors to promote their well-being and enhance their quality of life. A variety of sports, cultural and social activities as well as volunteer opportunities are available. The organization has also started a support group called “True Colours” to provide LGBTQ seniors with a safe and confidential space for discussion.

Toronto Sunshine Centres for Seniors
This is a non-profit organization whose mission includes reducing social isolation, fostering social participation and enhancing the health and well-being of seniors. A number of inclusive, interactive and accessible programs are offered to develop participants’ sense of belonging to this community. The organization openly identifies itself as multicultural and LGBT-friendly.

Initiatives for seniors within LGBTQ organizations
Initiatives for seniors hosted at LGBTQ organizations foster intergenerational contact and offer safe spaces where LGBTQ seniors can meet, find support and overcome their isolation.

QMUNITY
QMUNITY is a non-profit organization in Vancouver whose mission is to improve the lives of queer, trans and two-spirited people in British Columbia through information and support, placement and volunteer opportunities, and consulting services. It has three related offerings: services, social network and leadership. Seniors programming offers opportunities for connecting with the community, social support and personal development to people aged 55 and over.

Rainbow Resource Centre
Based in Winnipeg, the centre has a social support group called “Over the Rainbow” for members of the LGBT2SQ+ community aged 55 and over. They meet four times a month. Three different activities take place: a coffee and chat, a potluck supper, and a film series at the centre.

The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project (Halifax)
The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project in Halifax has a social group called “Elderberries” for LGBT people aged 50 and over. The group meets monthly, with programming that includes cultural events, discussions on a variety of topics (such as memories of coming out, being a single LGBT senior, and long-term care) and workshops on legal and medical issues.

OUT Saskatoon
OUT Saskatoon is a non-profit organization that serves the LGBTQ community. It has created a social group for people aged 50 and over as well as a choir. Founded in 1991, it hosts various events and offers information and education services as well as a health clinic.

The 519 (Toronto)
This Toronto-based organization advocates for the inclusion of LGBTQ communities. It is engaged in promoting the health, well-being and full social participation of the LGBTQ community. The 519 also tries to foster inclusion, understanding and respect among Toronto society toward LGBTQ people. It offers LGBTQ seniors a variety of services, including a weekly drop-in program, book clubs, talks and intergenerational initiatives.

Initiatives designed to promote awareness of the realities of seniors in LGBTQ communities
Awareness of LGBTQ communities to the realities of seniors helps address ageism and foster environments that are more welcoming and inclusive for seniors.

Egale’s Seniors Resource map
Egale, an organization which promotes a Canada without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression, has prepared a map which shows the locations of services for LGBTQI2S Seniors.

National Resource Center on LGBT Aging: “Age-Friendly Inclusive Services. A Practical Guide to Creating Welcoming LGBT Organizations”
The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging is U.S.-based technical assistance resource centre aimed at improving the quality of services and supports offered to lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender older adults. Established in 2010, it provides training, technical assistance and educational resources to LGBT organizations and LGBT older adults. Its publication, Age-Friendly Inclusive Services, focuses on ways to provide the best possible services to older LGBTQ adults.

Complementary resources
This section presents resources that provide information on LGBTQ seniors, but would not be considered social innovation tools. They serve as complementary references on initiatives designed to combat the social isolation of LGBTQ seniors. They may offer inspiration for communities and organizations looking to implement creative solutions to foster the social inclusion of LBGTQ seniors.

LGBT End-of-Life Conversations (Canada)
This is a website that seeks to create a community and provide information related to preparing LGBT seniors for the end of life in order to facilitate care. The result of a Canada wide research project, the site focuses on empowerment and presents resource guides for LGBT seniors in five Canadian provinces. It includes a description of the research being carried out and a list of talks and information on various public events. It also includes videos designed to promote awareness around different types of abuse that LGBT seniors may experience, such as physical, psychological/emotional, material or financial abuse, or neglect. It also addresses abuse through a series of posters in different languages.

National Resource Center on LGBT Aging (U.S.)

The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging is the first and only technical assistance resource designed to improve the quality of the services and support offered to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors in the U.S. Its website shares information on a host of topics and issues relating to aging and LGBT seniors—such as ageism, Alzheimer’s disease, and coming out at an older age—and offers a list of resources for people living with HIV. The centre also offers training to organizations that want their staff to be more sensitive to the reality of LGBT seniors (LGBT Aging: Cultural Competency Trainings).

Ottawa Senior Pride Network (Canada)

The Senior Pride Network is a group of service providers and organizations that work on behalf of LGBTQ seniors in Canada. They meet regularly to work collectively on the development of projects and activities to improve the services offered to LGBTQ seniors.

Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (U.S.)

Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT seniors in the U.S. It offers support services to LGBT seniors and their loved ones. It lobbies decision-makers on the rights and needs of LGBT seniors to improve the public policies that affect them. SAGE also offers training to organizations that provide care and services to seniors.

Val’s Café (Australia)

Val's Café was created in 2009 to improve the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) seniors in Australia. The organization works in partnership with seniors’ service providers to create more inclusive services for LGBTI seniors.

Rainbow Health Ontario (Canada)

Rainbow Health Ontario provides training and education to improve the accessibility and quality of health care services for members of the LGBTQ2 community (including LGBTQ2 seniors) in Ontario.

Calgary OutLink – Maia Seniors Project (Canada)

This project aims to pair resilient LGBTQ people with LGBTQ seniors in need of supports and to build communities surrounding LGBTQ seniors that are safer and more accepting. It hopes to eventually spark new LGBTQ seniors’ services in Calgary.

Guides and tools for promoting awareness among care providers

Aging Out: Moving towards queer and trans competent care for seniors (QMUNITY – Vancouver)
This report is a summary of findings and recommendations for offering culturally sensitive care to LGBTQ seniors who live in care facilities.

Offering services and care to trans elders: Tools for more inclusive health care and social services (Chaire de recherche sur homophobia and Aide aux trans du Québec)
This guide is designed to help care providers accommodate trans seniors at their organizations and inform their co-workers about trans realities.

Diversity Our Strength (Toronto)
This LGBT toolkit can be used to create culturally competent care for LGBT people in care facilities in Toronto

Project Visibility: Person-Centered Care for LGBT Older Adults (U.S.)
Project Visibility is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the form of online training. This free, 30-minute interactive course is designed for managers and employees of care facilities and home care agencies. The project’s aim is to co-create a community of services for aging people that is informed and aware, and supports LGBT seniors.

LGBT Aging: A review of Research Findings, Needs and Policy Implications (U.S)
This report specifically highlights research on how discrimination can limit the degree to which older LGBT adults experience full inclusion in available services and supports.

LGBT Older Adults and Residential Care Environments (Saskatoon)
This project, developed by the Saskatoon Council on Aging and OUT Saskatoon, examines the challenges faced by LGBT older adults within residential environments and Saskatoon facilities, and offers practical solutions to support the development of training and policies that consider the needs, fears and preferences of LGBT individuals.