LGBTQ seniors find themselves at particular risk these days. Not only are they among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 but they are also especially susceptible to the depression that has accompanied it. And yes, many seniors are suffering from depression due to the current conditions of heightened fear, anxiety and isolation, but LGBTQs have additional factors to deal with that exacerbate matters.
LGBTQ seniors were raised in a time of civil upheaval. Their formative years were spent during the Vietnam War, the civil rights struggle, through Stonewall, Woodstock and later the AIDS/HIV pandemic. Hope was their prime motivation and being part of the struggle gave them the strength to persevere. In the realm of LGBTQ equality, they achieved monumental results—marriage equality, unrestricted military service and unprecedented general acceptance in society with most of the amenities. There remained work to be done, but LGBTQ life is now unrecognizable compared to the past. Optimism should be the mood of the day. Like veterans of any successful struggle, they should be able to rest and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Then came the 2016 presidential election. Our regime’s political leadership has since hammered contention, conspiracy and a divisive them-versus-us world view into weapons. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the numbers of hate groups have grown by 55% and anti-LGBTQ groups have increased by 43%. The daily dose of doom and gloom dominating the news doesn’t help either. Tension pervades daily life and has replaced compassion and empathy as the rule of social interaction. In fact, I found myself basking in Schadenfreude at the sight of the sinking boats of a recent waterborne parade of regime supporters and shared someone’s clever moniker, Klanish Armada, for that ill-fated fleet on social media.
Isolated, Vulnerable
Meanwhile, for LGBTQ seniors the state of isolation due to COVID-19 is also increased by the realities specific to their generation. Beyond watching as the COVID-19 death toll reaches 200,000, still rising by an average of 1000 per day, and knowing one’s own vulnerability, they often have few supportive family members in part due to growing up invisibly or having been rejected by family when they came out as LGBTQ decades ago.
In the past, that lack of biological family support was a given and compensated by the improvised family of the LGBTQ community. But today, the accessibility of that circle of friends has been compromised by social distancing demands and fear of infection. Milwaukee’s recreational and social men’s organization, GAMMA, with a membership comprised mainly of seniors, suspended its monthly events in March. or many, GAMMA provided a welcomed outlet for personal contact. GAMMA’s monthly calendar was full of events across a spectrum of interests.
While some members remain in touch virtually, it’s just not the same. For seniors, the mental and physical health benefits of actual activity far surpass those of a text message or a group ZOOM conversation. In fact, I just spoke with a participant in another LGBTQ senior group whose complaint focused on the ZOOM alternative. He wondered how beneficial it is for seniors to engage in ZOOM group meetings when the tone is one of complaint and participants vie for sadder-than-thou status when telling their tales of woe. Apparently, no one present thought to steer the conversation in a positive direction.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much happening to mitigate the situation. When I recently asked a local senior advocate about the depression and isolation issue, the conversation turned to LGBTQ senior housing. “We’re talking about it, but these things take time,” he said. Fine. Only, for seniors, time is something that is rapidly running out.
To read more My LGBTQ POV columns by Paul Masterson, click here.
