Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging: Challenges in Research, Practice, and Policy PDF
Preview Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging: Challenges in Research, Practice, and Policy
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Aging This page intentionally left blank Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Aging Challenges in Research, Practice, and Policy Edited by tarynn m . wit ten, ph.d., l. c.s.w., f .g.s.a. Associate Professor Center for the Study of Biological Complexity Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia and a. e van e yler, m.d., m .p.h. Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry University of Vermont College of Medicine / Fletcher Allen Health Care Burlington, Vermont The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore © 2012 The Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. Published 2012 Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 The Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Mary land 21218- 4363 www p.ress j.hu e.du Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender aging : challenges in research, practice, and policy / edited by Tarynn M. Witten and A. Evan Eyler. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN- 13: 978- 1- 4214- 0319- 9 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN- 10: 1- 4214- 0319- 6 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN- 13: 978- 1- 4214- 0320- 5 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN- 10: 1- 4214- 0320- X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Older gays— Care. 2. Older sexual minorities— Care. 3. Older people— Abuse of— Prevention. 4. Preventive health ser vices for older people. I. Witten, Tarynn. II. Eyler, A. Evan. [DNLM: 1. Aging. 2. Homosexuality. 3. Bisexuality. 4. Elder Abuse— prevention & control. 5. Health Ser vices for the Aged. 6. Social Stigma. WT 30] RA564.9.H65G39 2011 3 62.1086'6—dc22 2 011009997 A cata log record for this book is available from the British Library. Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book. For more information, please contact Special Sales at 410- 516- 6936 or [email protected]. The Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent post- consumer waste, whenever possible. To my children, Willow, Misty, and Amber, who are the best of my works; and to my mother and father, who gave me so many gifts; and to Lynda. tarynn madysyn wit ten To my grandparents, three of whom w ere teachers; my mother, who was my fi rst teacher; my father, a wonderful teacher from whom I have learned a great many things about medicine and about life; and to John. a. e van e yler And to all of those individuals who have provided so much of the information for the research cited in this book, without whom we would have nothing about which to speak. all t he faces of aging Aging claims its place. Make room. It does not ask What is the gender of my pain? What is the sex of my sadness? What is the sexuality of my loneliness? See me for what I am. For I am all the faces of aging. —tarynn m . witten Contents Preface i x List of Contributors xv 1 The Aging of Sexual and Gender Minority Persons: An Overview 1 Tarynn M. Witten 2 Informal Caregiving in the LGBT Communities 59 Karen I. F redriksen- Goldsen 3 Aging in the Gay Community 84 Brian de Vries and Gil Herdt 4 Aging in the Lesbian Community 130 Nancy M. N ystrom and Teresa C. Jones 5 Aging in the Bisexual Community 162 Paula C. Rodríguez Rust 6 Transgender and Aging: Beings and Becomings 187 Tarynn M. W itten and A. Evan Eyler 7 Intersex and Aging: A (Cautionary) Research Agenda 270 Heather Laine Talley and Monica J. Casper 8 C onclusion 2 90 A. Evan Eyler Suggested Further Reading 303 Index 3 29 This page intentionally left blank Preface The idea for this book arose quite a number of years ago, when we realized that no integrative text addressed the unique problems of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging, and that the concerns of intersex- identifi ed older adults had not been addressed. To be sure, there were books that contained a chapter on some small subset of problems of LGBT aging. In the interim, a few books have appeared (Clunis, Fredricksen- Goldsen, Freeman, & Nystrom, 2005; Herdt & DeVries, 2004; Hunter, 2005; Kimmel, Rose, & David, 2006). However, this important area of study deserves ongoing, integrated, and comprehensive cover- age, with attention to the details of what is known and what remains to be learned. This book is written for students and professionals in gerontology, medicine, social work, psychology, nursing, public health, health care administration, and related fi elds who wish to learn more about the life experiences and concerns of sexuality and gender- minority- identifi ed el der ly persons, in order to effectively serve their patients, clients, and ser vice consumers. Material is drawn from a wide cross section of available research literature, which is unfortunately scant in many important content areas. Questions are sometimes proposed and ideas extrapolated from the general gerontologic and geriatric literatures, from profes- sional practice, from discussions with our colleagues, and from survey response data. Chapter 1 offers basic demographic information regarding sexual and gender minority persons in the United States and worldwide. Specifi c data are lacking in many respects, so Tarynn M. Witten has extrapolated from existing census data and population estimates regarding LGBT persons. Information regarding gender identity and gender variance in a variety of indigenous cultural groups is also provided. Many people might ask why LGBT aging should be any different from aging in any other population. In chapter 2, Karen I. Fredriksen- Goldsen discusses care- giving from the perspective of sexual minority persons. Using that as a single topic
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