Two Columbus documentary film makers interviewed more than 50 people who once frequented Ohio's longest-running lesbian bar.
They found a common theme among many of the patrons.
As the many of the patrons age, they've started to lose the sense of community they once found at the bar.
Evidence shows isolation while aging is a problem affecting people all across the country, and it has a greater impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
Older LGBTQ+ people often face social isolation and fear as they age, and sometimes feel the need to go back into the closet to receive medical care or live in group settings. Groups are working to bring inclusion, but communities in central Ohio still lack gathering places for older LGBTQ+ people.
Julia Applegate and LuSter Singleton started their work on their documentary "Free Beer Tomorrow," to highlight the community fostered by patrons of the lesbian bar known as Jack's, or Summit Station, in the University District.
"We know too from doing this project, the number of seniors that are living alone, isolated, completely, you know, they're terrified and they're pissed. Several of them whom we've spoken to are mad as hell," Applegate and Singleton said.
They discovered that for many of the patrons, a sense of community had dried up.
"Where is the support I need? It's not just a rainbow flag. It's come out and bring me a meal. Come out and sit with me for two hours and let's tell stories. Let's have some social interaction. It's about family and home and community and combating the social isolation that we experience at higher rates because we're different," Applegate said.
Singleton and Applegate say there are few, if any, spaces for older LGBTQ+ people in central Ohio.
Dan Stewart is the deputy director of aging equality for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. He said that social isolation is hard on all aging people, but the problem affects LGBTQ+ people more frequently.
"This is a population that's twice as likely to be single and live alone and three or four times as likely to not have children as they age. A lot of those care networks and social supports that the majority of the population will rely on as they age really starts to shrink for our LGBTQ+ older adults," Stewart said.
So with a smaller network, they might be alone, or live communally in long-term care facilities, where they might experience discrimination or misunderstanding.
"For many of our elders and for our providers who serve them, there hasn't necessarily been an out, cohort of, of aging, older adults that we see like today. Unfortunately, because of the AIDS crisis, an epidemic and a history of stigma discrimination, many folks died before they had the opportunity to age," Stewart said.
Christina Da Costa works at Sage, a New York-based organization working to improve the lives of older queer people.
"LGBTQ+ older folks actually have the double whammy of both being LGBTQ+, which in itself has, you know, been a discriminated and marginally treated population. But also older folks in this country tend to be unseen. And there's a narrative about aging and disappearing that is pretty common," Da Costa said.
Some people feel the need to further erase themselves to avoid discrimination at live-in facilities.
"A lot of people tend to go back into the closet, because they feel like they can't be their true selves," Da Costa said. "A shocking survey from AARP a couple of years ago cited that 60% of LGBTQ+ elders feared that they'd be mistreated or refused care or in danger of neglect or abuse in senior living communities due to being who they are."
Applegate, Singleton and Stewart have all heard of this happening.
"A lot of our elders are fearful of having to enter into long term care or accessing adult day services, because there is an element of vulnerability that's associated, especially for our trans elders, who may need to disclose their identity in accessing these services. And that can be a scary thing," Stewart said.
Agencies like the Human Rights Campaign and Sage are working together to identify supportive facilities and provide guidance to facilities that want to be inclusive.
They have a Long-Term Care Equity Index that evaluates how inclusive participating senior housing providers are to LGBTQ+ people, and a Health Equity Index, which evaluates the inclusivity of health care providers.
"We hear a lot of folks taking on efforts and wanting to create an inclusive environment, but they may not know how to actually operationalize that," Stewart said. "So the LEI helps organizations really see where they land in terms of best practices, with many of about 40 best practices across the gamut of what you would experience in a community as either a resident, a visitor or an employee."
The effort is relatively new. The second biennial cycle is now active.
"Eight eight percent of LGBTQ+ older people say that they would feel more comfortable with long-term care services if they knew that the staff had been trained on their needs," Da Costa said.
So far 30 Ohio senior housing facilities have committed to the process.
"What we've seen is that by doing these trainings and by educating more folks, they're more likely to provide more culturally competent care to this population who really needs that," Da Costa said.
The index evaluates things like the facility's non-discrimination policies, how they hire and train employees, how inclusive intake forms are and other areas.
Communities can come together to create places and programs that are inclusive, like senior community centers and volunteer programs to bring older LGBTQ+ people company, food and transportation, Da Costa said. It's been done in places like New York City.
"Sage has a friendly-visitor program. We have it in New York and in Florida currently. And it's sort of like a "lend a hand" program where you volunteer, you're matched up with an elder who may be homebound or have some mobility issues. And, you know, you help them go to a doctor's appointment or you go to their house and you bring us some groceries or their prescriptions," Da Costa said.
Efforts like that make older LGBTQ+ people more visible.
"I think one of the challenges that we have, in general, is ageism," Stewart said. "And then ageism or not, how we often desexualize older adults. So we may not think about sexual orientation or gender identity when we're thinking of someone in their 60s, 70s or 80s."
Stewart said people who work with older people can be a friend to the queer population by giving them a signal that you're an ally.
"A small sign either on your badge or lanyard. An indicator of, like, a rainbow pen or something of that sort, especially for our elders who are often looking for subtle indications that you are a safe person," Stewart said.
Da Costa said taking the time to talk to older LGBTQ+ people is a good idea.
"I think just listening, if you know someone who's older and who identifies. Sitting down, hearing their story. You know, helping them out with groceries, lending a hand basically," Da Costa said.
Da Costa said showing dignity and kindness should always be a priority.
