EDGE Washington

The Public Health Management Corporation released a wide-ranging, first-of-its-kind report on the needs of local LGBT seniors.

Tom Duffy, a retired catering business owner, converted what once was a small Wilton Manors assisted living facility to create his dream: Secret Garden, an independent living center where gay men can be themselves as they age.

The gay community is youth obsessed, and Hollywood is preoccupied with one’s image. So how does it fare for those LGBTs who are gay and gray and living in LA?

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) seniors often have no biological family advocating for them and are becoming increasingly dependent on outside services.

Gay culture is embraced by the mainstream much more than it was in the past. For LGBT elders, finding their place in it -- especially in a state like Colorado, where self-sufficiency is king -- can be difficult.

Tom Temprano believes in an anti-ageist LGBT community that recognizes the needs of the elderly, but it wasn’t until he broke a tiny bone in his foot during a heated basketball game that he experienced first-hand the limitations that come with age.

In terms of academic research, LGBT seniors largely remain in the closet. Only a few studies have attempted to shed light on the needs of aging LGBT adults.

In November, Philadelphia broke ground on a new senior center with 56 housing units available for low-income, LGBT residents.

Colorado leaders and senior groups teleconferenced last week about the LGBT Elder Americans Act, which would help people facing barriers caused by non-economic factors, like inability to access resources, or fear of discrimination.

The many issues facing LGBT seniors - including housing, access to health care, and diversity - were discussed at a recent daylong conference presented by the Institute on Aging.