Senior at gay

Bring age diversity to your characters. Imagine a gay romance that includes laugh lines and life lessons. They grew up when loving the wrong person could land you in jail—or worse, a hospital with no visitors allowed. Older gay men might not know your favorite meme, but they might know how to cook.

The apps? Let two men in their sixties fall in love. The AARP Dignity Survey reveal findings on LGBTQ social experiences, health care access and more. You know, when Judy Garland played on the jukebox, and someone they loved finally said yes.

They lived. Younger gay men often look at older men and see a mirror reflecting what they fear: age, invisibility, vulnerability. Andy tells us about his experiences, why he left coming out so long, how he found it and how he's found his way in the gay community.

Writers often spotlight youth, forgetting the rich textures older voices bring. Ultimately, they found joy. What issues matter to LGBTQ+ older adults? In real life, striking up a conversation with someone older can flip your script. Too often, older gay men become invisible —especially in media, in bars, and yes, even in fiction.

Or love. Even danced in gay bars under threat of raids. With millions of queer elders in the US, retirement communities for LGBTQ+ residents are addressing isolation, discrimination, and health inequities. Writers have the power to shift that narrative.

Let a year-old find an unlikely friendship that changes everything. Old Guys in Bed by JP Bergeron, a film about older gay men exploring love and intimacy, debuted at Cinema Diverse in Palm Springs. Writers, especially, should know better.

Perhaps, survive. Sometimes literally. We craft characters who evolve, who carry trauma and humor in the same bag. Wrote poems. This issue brief outlines how various federal programs—such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Older Americans Act programs, and more—have historically supported LGBTQ+ older adults.

Many survived a senior when being out meant losing your job, your family, or worse. But when you only have friends who were born in the Obama era, you miss out. Yet they survived. No gay skips aging, not even with retinol and perfect lighting.

Perhaps, finding common ground—or a story worth telling will develop. It also describes ways in which agencies and advocates can improve data collection, service delivery, and cultural responsiveness to better meet the needs of LGBTQ+ older adults.

Yet in queer spaces, ageism still rears its Botox-smooth head.