Your Rights & Resources

Although definitions vary, LGBTQ+ older adults include the population of sexual and gender minorities over the age of 50. With no census count available of LGBTQ+ older adults residing in the United States, investigators have used various methods to estimate the size of the population. One study estimates that there are over 2.4 million LGBTQ+ adults over age 50 in the United States, with the expectations that this number will double to over 5 million by 2030. Another study estimated that there are between 1.75 to 4 million LGBTQ+ adults above age 60. Without a national probability sample, accurate characterization of this population is difficult. However, numerous community-based, non-probability studies provide invaluable insight into the experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults and show that LGBTQ+ older adults face unique challenges to aging that their heterosexual, cisgender peers do not.