It is crucial that anyone working in the field of aging develop a further understanding of transgender concerns. Ideally, that understanding will begin to spread to the general public.

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Conclusion

As the population of glbtq elders expands, one can expect that research on this community will increase and additional resources made available. Fortunately, a number of organizations dedicated to providing much-needed services and information--along with socialization and activism opportunities--to glbtq senior citizens have emerged recently, ranging from SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), Pride Senior Network, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC), Prime Timers, and the Transgender Aging Network. These groups can help provide a sense of safety and empowerment for sexual minority elders--something not always provided by mainstream seniors' organizations.

While they currently number only a handful, retirement homes and facilities catering specifically to glbtq seniors are likely to be developed on a larger scale. If such facilities meet the special needs and concerns of the glbtq elderly, they may become an important community resource.

Many aspects of the aging process are universal; however, until acceptance of glbtq people becomes commonplace, awareness of the issues affecting glbtq seniors in particular needs to be promoted both within and outside of the queer community.

Discrimination on the basis of age is a serious problem in most demographic groups, including the glbtq communities.

Vermont's Civil Union law conferred all the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of marriage on same-sex couples.

"Domestic partnership" is the generic term for a variety of forms of legal and institutional recognition of same-sex couples that fall short of same-sex marriage.

Many glbtq people reject a fixed definition of family imposed by society, and instead claim the right to define their own families as they choose.

There are many excellent resources, both general and specifically tailored for glbtq individuals, which can assist in the process of healing after a bereavement or other major loss.

Lesbian and gay couples have been fighting for the freedom to marry since the dawn of the modern glbtq struggle for equality; despite some success abroad, progress toward same-sex marriage in the United States has been slow.

As the aging population has grown, more organizations have emerged that are dedicated to providing much-needed services and information, along with socialization and activism opportunities, to glbtq senior citizens.

Since the 1990s, Social Work has slowly become a more glbtq-friendly profession.

An American-born painter who emigrated to Canada, the artist Mary Meigs is best known for her literary contributions and her feminist activism on behalf of elderly lesbians.