Wellness with Pride

This year’s Generations Celebration event emphasizes the need to combat social isolation of LGBTQ+ elders by building community and invites LGBTQ+ people of all ages and their allies to tune in for an hour of entertainment and to help raise funds for gen2gen, a mentorship program designed to reduce social isolation by connecting diverse generations.

ABOUT AGING WITH PRIDE
The landmark study Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study is the first federally-funded longitudinal national project designed to better understand the aging, health, and well-being of LGBTQ midlife and older adults and their families. With over 2,400 LGBTQ adults ranging in age from 50 to over 100, this project deepens our understanding of how various life experiences are related to changes in aging, health, and well-being over time. The findings paint a vivid portrait of the lives of LGBTQ midlife and older adults, documenting the interplay of risk and resilience to further understand those reaching their full aging and health potential and those most at risk of health, social, and economic disparities. This project is a collaboration with 17 community agencies serving LGBTQ older adults in every census division throughout the U.S. The project is funded through a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

The fundamental work that led to Aging with Pride was Caring and Aging with Pride, a 2010 collaboration with 11 community agencies and 2,560 LGBT adults 50 and older. They were surveyed about their aging, physical and mental health, wellness, support systems, caregiving, communities, and services. This research generated new knowledge on health and aging across these diverse communities, finding that LGBT adults are resilient yet at-risk. The project was funded through a federal grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA).