NEWS | OutBoise Magazine | 11
January 2015 | Issue 3.2 | OutBoise.com
Our Health
by Robert Collins
ing population this is huge. As we grow older, we
all regardless of identity face challenges related
to health. Having access to healthcare greatly
reduces the impact of these conditions.
The medical conditions faced in an aging LGBT
population really aren’t so different than any other
person. Chronic disease, fatigue, cosmetic changes and physical/mental decline. How we react to
those changes can be vastly different.
One ongoing theme I have discovered after
doing several interviews is that accessing health
care in a way that is positive and affirming is not a
given for LGBT people. Fear of discrimination, actual discrimination, internalized homophobia, and
unwillingness to admit your age in a highly youth
oriented culture all impact us. Fear is one of the
most common themes. It is another coming out to
talk openly with your healthcare provider about
your sexuality, your gender identity and your
relationships. Fear of rejection, discrimination and
indifferent care stops many people from disclosing
to their healthcare providers a significant fact that
impacts their health.
Aging. We are all getting older by the minute.
How aging affects our health and health care
decisions as LGBT people has changed. Like the
rest of the population in the U.S. The LGBT baby
boomer generation(1946-1964) is moving into the
senior citizen zone. As a member of this group I am
seeing huge changes in our healthcare system,
insurance system and our cultures.
The good news is, as time goes by it is getting
easier to talk about LGBT issues openly. The levels
of acceptance as LGBT people just being part of
the community as a whole rather than outsiders to
be rejected is improving. I remember the first doctor i came out to in the 1980s acting shocked. Now
when I mention it I get a different reaction. I get
ask medically relevant questions about my sexuality but no raised eyebrows.
The biggest societal change I have observed
has a direct impact on our health. Same sex marriage. People who were unable to marry before
and therefore were not eligible for family health
insurance plans now are able to take advantage of these plans. This has resulted in thousands
who’ve had no insurance transitioning to having
access to regular medical care. It means access
to federal programs that would have been unavailable under DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)
and improves the quality of life of individuals who
had previously been denied access. For an ag-
The answers are not clear in most places. In
larger urban centers like New York City , Los Angeles and San Francisco these problems are
beginning to be addressed. Facilities are starting
to have policies favorable to LGBT populations.
Vast reaches of your country though have no such
facility policies. Eac