Service Providers

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.  

– Martin Luther King

For many of us the concept of ageing is rather intimidating. LGBTI CAN know that Service Providers care for people who have feared this phase of their lives as it can bring with it discrimination, loss of connection with community and family, disempowerment, vulnerability, poor health, isolation and grief.

These challenges and issues are more likely to be experienced by the older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Gender Diverse person even before they have reached mature age. Particularly those who lived through the AIDS crisis. However the older LGBTI person can also enter this phase of their lives with strength, resilience and wisdom.

Often people who identify as LGBTI are reluctant to talk about themselves openly for fear of stigma and rejection. People Living with HIV (PLHIV) opt for an even lower profile in the community to feel safe.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia highlights the cycle of invisibility that can occur within our community. Find further resources at the end of this page.

 Workforce Resources

• The Department of Health, Aged Care and Ageing has released the Aged Care Diversity Framework to outline the responsibilities Service Providers have to this cohort. This document also supports the Aged Care Quality Standards
• Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine has developed a booklet for Workers who care for older people living with HIV.
• Dementia Australia provides information to better understand Dementia and the LGBTI person.
• The Safe Zone Project is a free online resource for LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops.
• MindOUT develops and delivers national suicide prevention initiatives for the mental health and suicide prevention sectors to help them meet the needs of LGBTIQ+ populations.
• Carer Gateway is a national support service funded by the Australian Government. It provides free support for carers through a network of regional Carer Gateway service providers. Their website states:
• Out Together helps improve the capacity of providers to recruit, train and support workers who identify as LGBTIQ+ and have their own lived experience of disability and ageing.
• Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) offers information, education, and an online peer support groups for people born with variations of sex characteristics.
• Rainbow Health Victoria supports LGBTIQ health and wellbeing through engaging training and resources to support individuals and organisations to be more inclusive.
• The Equality Project is a national organisation that brings together Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ+) people with allies across the social justice movement, to advocate for a better, more just, and fairer society for all Australians.
• Alice’s Garage has wonderful resources around the LGBTI older person including, Lesbians, Dementia, Trans and Gender Diverse, Carers, Cultural Safety, Aboriginal LGBTI Elders, Elder Abuse.
• Transcityis from the USA but many issues raised are experienced by our local transgender and gender diverse older folk.
• Phoenix Australia  Supporting those through grief and trauma. Many of our LGBTI older people have experienced trauma and significant grief (particularly during the AIDs crisis) at some point in their life. Aged care workers can also be exposed to trauma as part of their work. Information and resources are available for people affected by trauma and those who support them.  This resource is organised by mental health experts and funded by the Commonwealth Dept of Health.
• The Queensland AIDS Council  Understanding the history around AIV & AIDS in Queensland booklet.
• I Don’t Want to Be Treated Differently, just Included.  Engaging in a conversation with the National Seniors community about the experiences and needs of older LGBT peopl, this is a report following research undertaken by National Seniors Australia.
• Dementia Support Australia Access to the library and search for LGBTI to find resources in the Behaviours section.
• LGBTIQ+ Health Australia  A National organisation, Silver Rainbow advocates for the older person as well as producing lots of resources. Including this Fact Sheet LGBTI People and Dementia
• Val’s LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care – part of La Trobe University, Melbourne. Improving healthy ageing pathways for older LGBTI people, their visibility, and inclusion.
• Val’s is also on the airways with a regular segment on community radio 3CR. Rainbows Don’t Fade With Age can be listened to after the it has been live on air. Link: https://www.3cr.org.au/rainbowsdontfade

Video Resources

• HIV – Experiencing the Stigma of HIV. An Interview with David Polson (2018)
• Open Doors London – Gay, Old and Out. Older Gay and Lesbian folk sharing their experiences of growing up in the UK during the 50s-80s.
• Dementia Training Australia – Caring for LGBTI People Living with Dementia
• Intersex Human Rights Australia – Personal Life Experience Stories available on the website.
• You Can’t Ask That series on ABC iView (use search function) – has a variety of topics that are relevant for those caring for the older person, those with a disability and those who identify as LGBTI.
• Last Men Standing is a film reflecting those still living with HIV after having endured the death of many of their friends and community.
• Queensland Community Care Network – non for profit organisation that promotes visiting the older person both in the residential and community setting to combat social isolation.
• Gen Silent – trailer from the critically acclaimed film highlighting the history of experiences and the subsequent challenges of the older LGBTI person needing support and care.
• Not Another Second – from the USA, elders tell their untold stories and explores the years they lost due to societal constraints.
• Talking Trans Ageing with UNSW – a personal account of what it means to age while identifying as transgender.
  • Talking Trans Aging with Rusty
  • Talking Trans Ageing with Carol
• “This Just Happens to be Part of Me” – ABC TV Chequerboard program from 1972. Runs for 45mins.
• Four Corners looks at the issue of AIDS from a mid-1980s perspective. First broadcast on ABC TV Australia in 1985. Interviews with AIDS medical experts, community workers and members of the gay community who have been exposed to HIV/AIDS. Highlights the trauma and grief that the older gay community have and continue to experience. (Runs for 45mins)
• Queensland Queer History  ABC News provides insight from a premier’s ‘passionate friendship’ to same-sex marriage.