The Invisible Generation: Loneliness, Aging & LGBTQ+ Resilience

Read time is 4 minutes

This story didn’t start as a blog post.
It began with a project—a senior wellness living concept designed for LGBTQ+ adults.

As we began doing research, we were stunned. We had no idea just how widespread—and severe—the issue of loneliness is among LGBTQ+ elders. The more we read, the harder it hit. These are people who paved the way for so much of what we take for granted. And yet, in their later years, they’re often left to navigate aging alone.

As avid readers, we turned to words for perspective. Chris Hayes’ book Sirens’ Call stopped me in my tracks. In Chapter 4, he writes:

“In a world of digital noise and fractured connection, the greatest risk isn’t being alone—it’s being unseen.”

That line crystallized everything for us.

So during Pride Month, we're sharing this story for our community.
For the LGBTQ+ people who are aging with courage, often in silence.
Because if society had its way, many of them would remain on the fringe.
But not here. Not with us.

A Fast-Growing, Often Overlooked Population

Right now, there are more than 2.7 million LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. over the age of 50.
By 2030, the number is expected to exceed 7 million.

This is one of the fastest-growing—and least visible—segments of our population.

LGBTQ+ elders are:

• Twice as likely to live alone

• Four times less likely to have children

• Far more likely to age without traditional family support

For many, the “golden years” feel more like quiet exile.

Loneliness Isn’t Just Sad—It’s Dangerous

While 1 in 3 adults over 50 in the U.S. reports feeling lonely, that number climbs to nearly 1 in 2 for LGBTQ+ elders.

Let’s be clear: loneliness isn’t just emotional—it’s a public health issue.

It raises the risk of:

• Stroke by 32%

• Heart disease by 29%

• Dementia by 50%

• Early death by more than 60%

This generation faced systemic rejection, and now they face silent suffering. It’s heartbreaking. It’s also preventable.

Barriers That Shouldn’t Exist

Many LGBTQ+ older adults have been marginalized for most of their lives. Some:

• Were cut off by family

• Hid their identities in the workplace, in healthcare, and in faith communities

• Still fear discrimination in eldercare settings

In fact, 78% say they would not feel safe being “out” in a long-term care facility.

That’s not aging with dignity. That’s surviving with caution.

The Loss of Community—and the Need to Rebuild It

In Sirens’ Call, Hayes explores the loss of community in the digital age—the collapse of what he calls “third places”: spaces like churches, diners, and neighborhood centers where people connect and belong.

For LGBTQ+ elders, those third places often never existed. Or if they did, they weren’t safe.

So, what does community look like now?

Where Hope Lives: Building Belonging

It looks like:

• SAGE, the country’s leading organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders

• Silver Pride festivals across the U.S., celebrating aging with pride

• Queer-friendly senior housing, finally gaining traction in cities like New York and Palm Springs

• Intergenerational support programs that foster connection across age and experience

When we design with dignity, people show up.

What We Can Do

We’re not powerless. Here’s how we show up:

1. Visibility – Name the issue. Center the people. Let no one be forgotten.

2. Connection – Volunteer, visit, call. Isolation fades when someone simply shows up.

3. Advocacy – Push for inclusive eldercare policies and affirming spaces.

4. Support – Donate to organizations doing the work, not just in June, but all year long.

Pride Is a Promise

This message is personal.

It’s for our community.
The LGBTQ+ community.
The ones who blazed the trail. The ones still on the journey. The ones society might overlook—if we let it.

Pride isn’t just a party.
It’s a promise to each other.

And this Pride, we invite all of us to look around—and look back—to ensure we keep that promise for everyone.