Addressing Equity and Justice in Age-Friendly Communities: Considerations for LGBTQ+ Older Adults of Color.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This research critically examined the concept of age-friendliness from the perspectives of older Black lesbian women living in New York City (NYC). The primary aim was to extend existing age-friendly frameworks to more inclusively meet the needs of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults of color, promoting greater equity and justice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Applying principles from critical participatory action research, we collected and analyzed data from 5 focus groups consisting of 5 older Black lesbian women. Participants shared their daily experiences living in NYC and proposed ideas to enhance the age-friendliness of the city to better accommodate their unique needs and experiences. RESULTS: Participants called for greater attention to the interaction between identities and structures in relation to age-friendly communities. Historic and contemporary experiences of violence and discrimination, as well as the ever-shifting political context were identified as a key factor shaping their aging experiences. The need for affirming spaces with positive representation of their layered identities was emphasized in the context of age-friendly interventions. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: While dominant age-friendly frameworks are universally accepted for improving the health and wellbeing of older adults, the specific challenges of aging with multiple intersecting marginalized identities necessitate a critical perspective. Gerontology needs to take seriously how privilege and oppression operate within society, shaping health and aging trajectories of vulnerable and underserved populations.

Intersectional epistemic tensions associated with building knowledge with LGBTQ+ older adults of color.

In gerontological research, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older adults of color are a hard-to-reach and underrepresented population. In this paper, we reflected upon the process of designing and implementing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study by and for LGBTQ+ older adults of color committed to intersectionality. Data generted from fieldnotes and focus groups with five older Black lesbians were analyzed to uncover epistemic tensions associated with building intersectional knowledge for social justice. Study findings addressed the fraught nature of scientific knowledge production influenced by inequitable power structures and historically extractive research practices. Specifically, how cultural, political, and intergenerational tensions as well as the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the research process and were instrumental in learning about culturally responsive research. Putting PAR in dialogue with intersectionality opened an expansive paradigm that addressed the limitations of gerontological research. We end with implications for culturally responsive research with marginalized populations in aging studies, such as older LGBTQ+ adults of color.