Racial and Ethnic Variations in Resilience Factors Among Sexual and Gender Minority Midlife and Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study explores resilience factors among sexual and gender minority (SGM) midlife and older adults, identifying historical/environmental, psychological, social, and behavioral predictors, and examining variations across racial/ethnic subgroups. By adopting a resilience-focused perspective, this research contributes to understanding strengths in the SGM community in the context of aging. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using weighted survey data from Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study, this research investigates distinct risk and protective factors associated with resilience among SGM midlife and older adults. Subgroup variations were assessed using regression models. Factors moderated by race/ethnicity were integrated into final interaction models. RESULTS: Hispanic and Black individuals showed significantly higher resilience than non-Hispanic Whites. Lifetime victimization and day-to-day discrimination were negatively associated with resilience. Positive associations were found for higher income, identity affirmation, larger network size, greater social participation, increased physical activity, and sufficient food intake. Interaction models revealed nuanced patterns by subgroups; education negatively impacted resilience among Black individuals, while income positively influenced Hispanic individuals' resilience. The Other racial/ethnic group demonstrated unique associations between optimal sleep and resilience. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This study shifts from a deficit-based to a resilience-focused approach among SGM midlife and older adults, revealing key strengths within diverse subgroups. Results underscore the significance of recognizing racial/ethnic differences in factors promoting resilience and posing risks for SGM midlife and older adults. Tailoring interventions to address the intersectional needs of SGM aging populations is essential for enhancing their abilities to bounce back from adverse events.

Addressing Equity and Justice in Age-Friendly Communities: Considerations for LGBTQ+ Older Adults of Color.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This research critically examined the concept of age-friendliness from the perspectives of older Black lesbian women living in New York City (NYC). The primary aim was to extend existing age-friendly frameworks to more inclusively meet the needs of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults of color, promoting greater equity and justice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Applying principles from critical participatory action research, we collected and analyzed data from 5 focus groups consisting of 5 older Black lesbian women. Participants shared their daily experiences living in NYC and proposed ideas to enhance the age-friendliness of the city to better accommodate their unique needs and experiences. RESULTS: Participants called for greater attention to the interaction between identities and structures in relation to age-friendly communities. Historic and contemporary experiences of violence and discrimination, as well as the ever-shifting political context were identified as a key factor shaping their aging experiences. The need for affirming spaces with positive representation of their layered identities was emphasized in the context of age-friendly interventions. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: While dominant age-friendly frameworks are universally accepted for improving the health and wellbeing of older adults, the specific challenges of aging with multiple intersecting marginalized identities necessitate a critical perspective. Gerontology needs to take seriously how privilege and oppression operate within society, shaping health and aging trajectories of vulnerable and underserved populations.

Transgender older adults' prior military service: Mental health differences by gender identification.

Despite a proportionally higher likelihood of serving, the role of prior military service in the mental health of transgender individuals is understudied. Research on the impact of military service on mental health tends to be proximal. We examined the distal relationship between prior military service, identity stigma, and mental health among transgender older adults, drawing comparisons between transgender men and women. We conducted a series of weighted multivariate linear models to predict the relationships between prior military service, identity stigma, perceived stress, and depression among 183 transgender women and men aged 51-87 (M = 60.11, SD = 0.668) using 2014 data from the National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study. Prior military service was negatively associated with depression and perceived stress; identity stigma was positively associated with both. Prior military service and lower depression and perceived stress were significant for transgender men, but not women. Identity stigma was significant with depression and perceived stress among transgender women, but not transgender men. Our preliminary findings suggest that prior military service may serve as a protective factor for mental health among transgender men, but not transgender women. We need to better understand how military experience interacts with other characteristics, such as differing gender identities influences the mental health of transgender service members. Further research is needed to inform underlying mechanisms whereby military service differentially impacts mental health by gender identity so all active-duty personnel can share in the many benefits that accrue from military service, including protective effects on mental health in later life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Queering Age-Friendly NYC: A Critical Discourse Analysis.

This study employed critical discourse analysis to investigate the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults in the context of New York City's age-friendly initiative. An extensive review of over 800 pages of public records was conducted to understand how LGBTQ+ older adults were depicted within the discourse and to identify the authorities responsible for their recognition. The findings highlight the unequal representation of social identities, notably the absence of transgender and queer older adults in the examined texts. Authorities wielded discourses of power and accountability to influence perceptions of LGBTQ+ older adults, focusing on their risks and vulnerabilities. This emphasis on deficits, without acknowledgment of strengths and protective factors, has implications for age-friendly initiatives and may lead to an oversight of information necessary for the development of culturally sensitive interventions. To foster communities that are not only friendly but also equitable and just, policymakers must recognize and address subgroup variations within the LGBTQ+ population. This research underscores the importance of ensuring that age-friendly initiatives are inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of LGBTQ+ older adults.

Transgender and queer aging experiences are omitted from age-friendly NYC.Age-friendly policies need to be analyzed for who matters and benefits.Policymakers should understand the impact of language used to classify people.Age-friendly policies must address subgroup differences in risks and resiliency.

Intersectional epistemic tensions associated with building knowledge with LGBTQ+ older adults of color.

In gerontological research, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older adults of color are a hard-to-reach and underrepresented population. In this paper, we reflected upon the process of designing and implementing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study by and for LGBTQ+ older adults of color committed to intersectionality. Data generted from fieldnotes and focus groups with five older Black lesbians were analyzed to uncover epistemic tensions associated with building intersectional knowledge for social justice. Study findings addressed the fraught nature of scientific knowledge production influenced by inequitable power structures and historically extractive research practices. Specifically, how cultural, political, and intergenerational tensions as well as the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the research process and were instrumental in learning about culturally responsive research. Putting PAR in dialogue with intersectionality opened an expansive paradigm that addressed the limitations of gerontological research. We end with implications for culturally responsive research with marginalized populations in aging studies, such as older LGBTQ+ adults of color.

Critical participatory action research: Methods and praxis for intersectional knowledge production.

Building on the conceptual foundation of articles published in the 2005 volume of the Journal of Counseling Psychology on the qualitative turn in Counseling Psychology, we write to introduce and reflect on Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) as an intersectional approach to knowledge production by psychologists researching alongside individuals, communities, and movements dedicated to social justice. We open with a brief review of the origins of CPAR and the epistemological commitments of this approach to inquiry. We then explore why and how participation matters, and the delicate dynamics of CPAR through various phases of research: putting together a research team, crafting research questions and design, selecting methods, sampling, participatory analyses of qualitative and quantitative material, and figuring out how to produce and circulate findings in ways accountable to the community/movement of interest. The second half of the article offers a slow journey into one CPAR project, What's Your Issue?, a multigenerational, national, participatory survey designed by and for LGBTQIA+ youth, with an emphasis on the participation and representation of youth of color. We write this article for scholars, practitioners, activists, educators, and students to make visible why participation is so crucial to social justice research; that "no research on us, without us" is both scientifically and ethically valid, and how mixed methods research with LGBTQIA+ and gender-expansive youth can open new horizons for theory, methods, and action. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Complex Intimacy: Theorizing Older Gay Men's Social Lives.

This qualitative study explores the social lives of older gay men. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 gay men over the age of 65 to elicit details about their relationships with other people. Findings paint a complex picture of older gay social life that is compounded by significant events affecting gay men from a particular socio-historical period. Three overarching themes emerged that capture the social lives of the participants: (1) coming of age as a gay man in the 20th century; (2) dealing with the aging body; and (3) enduring loss and the consequent impact on social life. The participants reported that being in a gay environment and closing the gay generational divide helped them adjust to their changing social lives in later life. This study adds to the ongoing discussion about the experiences of older gay men and makes suggestions for future research and practice considerations.