Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People: Minding the Knowledge Gaps

There is a growing awareness that although lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people, aged over fifty, will in part share a common reality with all older people, their lives will be strongly and sometimes negatively affected by the social organisation of gender and sexuality within society, both in terms of the legacy of the past and present circumstances. For our purposes we are counting people over 50 as 'older' but not necessarily 'old'. The social and legal environment, in which these people have lived their lives has changed significantly over the course of their lifetime. Those who came out or transitioned in earlier decades faced considerable challenges while those coming out or transitioning in later years do so in a very different context. Different generations of LGBT people and the age at which they identified as LGBT and came out or transitioned will have been shaped by the prevailing social attitudes and norms of the time.
Despite a growing number of academic researchers who are investigating the lives and needs of older LGBT people, in addition to recent legal and policy changes that have sought to promote equality, there remain some issues that have not been addressed adequately. This seminar series will bring together academics, policy makers, service providers and older LGBT activists and community members to debate major gaps that exist in knowledge and practice and to formulate ways to address them.
Based on a thorough review of existing studies and through work with academics, policy makers, service providers and older LGBT people six one-day seminars are planned to cover areas where knowledge is currently lacking: older bisexual people's lives; older trans people's experiences; race, ethnicity and religion in older LGBT people's lives; economics, resources and social networks; intergenerational issues; and health and social care. Each seminar will commence with two guest speakers, followed by a question and answer session. Subsequently, a workshop will take place during which delegates will be asked to formulate two 'points of action', things that they could do in a professional or personal capacity that would bridge a current gap in knowledge and ultimately benefit older LGBT people. A final showcase conference at the end of the seminar series will allow delegates to review progress on their 'points of action', to consider challenges and successes and to think about what steps need to be taken next. Overall, the seminar series is concerned to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds, to fill in gaps in existing knowledge.

The outputs developed from the seminar series will be of particular benefit to older LGBT adults in terms of improving knowledge of their lives for service providers and enabling older LGBT people themselves to be central to the generation of new knowledge. It is important that within this community, groups that are sometimes marginalised, or whose views are not often heard, such as those without significant financial resources or those who are from minority ethnic (BME) communities are also able to participate. A number of travel bursaries will be made available to unwaged older LGBT people. To gauge the impact on older LGBT delegates an evaluation feedback sheet will be used at the end of each seminar and the final conference. The evaluation will also include a request for equality monitoring information i.e. gender, ethnicity.
LGBT organisations/advocates
One criticism levelled at mainstream LGBT organizations is that they pay insufficient attention to the needs of older LGBT adults. While not dismissing the validity of this claim, it should be acknowledged that this situation is beginning to be challenged, mainly by current cohorts of older LGBT adults themselves. This has resulted in a rapid growth of grassroots organisations run by and for older LGBT adults, for example Age of Diversity, an organisation based in the south of England which provides information about support services for older LGBT adults. LGBT organisations will directly benefit by participating in the seminars, but especially the final conference. In addition, a report of the key learning gained from the seminar series will be made available to LGBT organisations on request.
Service providers
Organisations involved in service provision to the older population are becoming increasingly aware of the unique needs of older LGBT adults. At both a local and national level, this has resulted in the development of LGBT specific networks (for example many local authorities have LGBT Networks and Forums), while other service providers have sought to incorporate the needs of this group into existing policy and practice through diversity and equality training. The seminar series is specifically designed to engage with and benefit service providers in this respect and where organisations are not directly involved as participants i.e. in workshops many will nonetheless be exposed to the knowledge generated in the series through the final conference or via the planned publication. Hence, it is the aim of the seminar series to benefit as wide a group of service providers as possible; to not only learn about the outcomes of the series, but also its practical accomplishment. The impact on service providers attending the seminars and final conference will be assessed through an evaluation questionnaire.
Third Sector Organisations
A number of third-sector organisations will be invited to the seminars and to the final conference. These include Age UK, Mind, National Association for Voluntary Organisations and Citizens Advice. The impact on their understandings and practice will be assessed by the end of event evaluation questionnaires. In addition, these and other third-sector organisations will also, on request, have access to the final seminar report produced by the co-applicants.
Collaboration and Networks
The series will provide an opportunity for participants to develop collaborative partnerships with other organisations who may attend the seminars and final conference or with those who learn about it via the funding bids and edited collection that are developed. Hence, its impact will extend beyond the finite limit of the series itself. Dissemination of ideas through the edited book will facilitate academics and practitioners and a JISC mailing list will be established for all seminar delegates, so that ideas and debates can continue to be exchanged for all seminar delegates, so that ideas and debates can continue to be exchanged after each session.