The (minority) stress of hiding: the effects of LGBT identities and social support on aging adults’ concern about housing

Abstract

Abstract The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) aging adult population is increasing rapidly in the United States. The literature reveals three shortcomings regarding research into the experiences of LGBT aging adults: (1) their needs have been largely overlooked, (2) there are few large-scale quantitative studies of this population, and (3) LGBT older adults are often treated as a monolith despite the potential for significant variations between subgroups under the umbrella. The current study addresses these issues by utilizing data from a nationwide AARP 2018 survey to study a central concern of LGBT aging adults: housing. Specifically, drawing upon the conceptual framework of minority stress, we examine how the LGBT identity of older people affects how concerned they are about having to hide their identity in order to find suitable housing as they age. Findings reveal (1) significant variations in the degree of worry among segments of the aging LGBT population, and (2) ameliorating factors such as social support may decrease the degree to which they worry about hiding their identity to access housing. These results may have implications for policies and practices aimed at increasing the community resilience available to support LGBT adults as they age.