The study of aging queer persons is important because it explores how older members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community experience life after years of activism, struggle, and self-acceptance.
This research has mostly focused on heteronormative concepts such as health, caregiving, and social isolation rather than their unique perspectives on sexuality, identity, and community.
In the last three decades, technological advancements have disrupted many aspects of human communication and behavior. This includes LGBTQ+ elders' access to online resources that provide support, education, entertainment, and dating opportunities.
Some websites offer matchmaking services specifically for people over 50 who are interested in same-sex partnerships.
Despite these improvements, older adults still face challenges due to discrimination based on ageism and homophobia/transphobia. They often feel invisible or ignored by society. The digital divide also affects them since they may lack skills, knowledge, motivation, or access to technology.
Technoâ€'saturated societies could benefit younger generations of LGBTQ+ elders through increased visibility, inclusion, and representation. As more seniors use smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other devices daily, they will become more familiar with current cultural trends, language, and attitudes towards gender and sexuality.
Some scholars propose using virtual reality (VR) technology to simulate safe spaces where aging queer persons can meet and connect without fear of judgment or prejudice. Others recommend creating digital archives of historical documents, photos, artworks, videos, performances, and oral histories for educational purposes.
Future research should focus on how aging queer persons reflect upon their sexuality, identity, and community differently than younger cohorts and what might shift for future generations of LGBTQ+ elders in a technoâ€'saturated society. This will require careful consideration of intersectionality between age, race, ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic status, religion, politics, culture, geography, etc.
How do aging queer persons reflect upon their sexuality, identity and community differently than younger cohorts, and what might shift for future generations of LGBTQ+ elders in a techno‑saturated society?
The experience of growing old as an elderly member of the LGBTQ+ community is characterized by a complex interplay between social, cultural, political, and personal factors that shape the individual's perception of oneself, one's identity, and one's relationships with others.