The  is the first and only multipurpose LGBTQ senior center in Seattle and King County. It was founded by ,��a 91̽�� professor of social work,��with the goal of combating social isolation experienced by many LGBTQ older adults.

Located on Capitol Hill and established with the help of Fredriksen Goldsen’s research, the GenPride Center provides classes, activities and services for LGBTQ seniors.

Read more in the related .

For more information, contact 91̽��News video producer Kiyomi Taguchi: ktaguchi@uw.edu or 206-543-2580.

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0:00 Exterior of Broadway Market, Capitol Hill, where GenPride is located.

0:11 Karen Fredriksen Goldsen at GenPride Center.

1:04 Staff and volunteers working.

1:27 Writing workshop and reading in GenPride Center space.

3:13 GenPride training workshop for the staff of Wallingford Senior Center, focusing on making LGBTQ elders feel welcome and comfortable. GenPride also offers LGBTQ cultural awareness training at residential senior facilities.

4:09 Yoga class hosted by TRIBE Fitness, located on Capitol Hill. They offer free yoga to LGBTQ elders twice a week.

Research shows that LGBTQ older adults are at higher risk for many chronic medical conditions, yet are also resilient and proactive when it comes to taking care of their health.

But one burden for LGBTQ older adults is more subtle and pervasive: social isolation.

A health hazard of its own, loneliness has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, early onset of disability, greater risk of cognitive decline and premature mortality. And while accessing affordable, stable housing is an issue for the aging population at large, LGBTQ seniors are particularly vulnerable to difficulties securing housing and finding supportive communities, said , a 91̽�� professor of social work and principal investigator of the landmark longitudinal study, .

Launched in 2010, the National Institute on Aging, recently awarded nearly $3 million to Aging with Pride for the next five years. Researchers are following over 2,400 LGBTQ adults, ranging in age from 50 to over 100, in every census division throughout the United States.

Aging with Pride, launched in 2010, has examined specific health conditions as well as and behaviors that contribute to . Its data show that 55% of LGBTQ older adults live alone, and more than one-third are socially isolated.

In Seattle, the , founded by Fredriksen Goldsen, is working to combat that.

Located on Capitol Hill and established with the help of Fredriksen Goldsen’s research, the GenPride Center provides classes, activities and services for LGBTQ seniors. It’s the first multipurpose LGBTQ senior center in Seattle and King County.

“The goal of GenPride is to create community, to provide specialized services and connect LGBTQ older adults, their families and their communities to resources,” Fredriksen Goldsen said. “It’s a place for people to call home. It’s a community center, and the goal is to be able to embrace LGBTQ elders and their allies.”

“Social isolation can affect anyone of any generation,” Fredriksen Goldsen added. But research focused on the LGBTQ community, which has historically experienced significant social exclusion, provides proven and practical pathways to building strong social networks for all generations experiencing debilitating loneliness, she said.

“It’s really important for people to age in community, because they need to stay connected. They need to have a community that supports them and ensures they are connected to three or more people,” Fredriksen Goldsen said. “Much of what we’re learning here supports the well-being of all elders and is responsive to our increasingly diverse society.”

On June 26, Fredriksen Goldsen was honored by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan with the .

For more information, contact Fredriksen Goldsen at fredrikk@uw.edu.

Lesbian and bisexual older women are more likely than heterosexual older women to suffer chronic health conditions, experience sleep problems and drink excessively, a new 91̽�� study finds.

In general, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) older adults were found to be in poorer health than heterosexuals, specifically in terms of higher rates of cardiovascular disease, weakened immune system and low back or neck pain. They also were at greater risk of some adverse health behaviors such as smoking and excessive drinking. At the same time, however, findings point to areas of resilience, with more LGB adults engaging in preventive health measures, such as obtaining HIV tests and blood pressure screening.

The study is the first to use national, population-based data to evaluate differences in health outcomes and behaviors among lesbian, gay and bisexual older adults. Using two-year survey data of 33,000 heterosexual and LGB adults ages 50 and older from a probability-based study of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers from the 91̽��School of Social Work report noticeable health disparities between LGB and heterosexual adults.

The were published in the August issue of the .

While this study did not delve into what causes the poorer health outcomes, 91̽��social work professor pointed to other research, including the landmark longitudinal study, , that .

“The strong predictors of poor health are discrimination and victimization,” said Fredriksen-Goldsen, the principal investigator on Aging with Pride, which surveyed 2,450 adults aged 50 to 100, studying the impact of historical, environmental, psychological, social, behavioral and biological factors on LGBT older adult health and well-being.

The new 91̽��study relied on the 2013-14 National Health Interview Survey, which for the first time asked respondents about their sexual orientation. In the United States, approximately 2.7 million adults age 50 and older self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This number is expected to increase to more than 5 million by 2060.

Among the 91̽��study’s findings:

• Disability and mental distress are significantly more prevalent among lesbians or gay men than among their bisexual counterparts.
• Strokes, heart attacks, asthma, arthritis and lower back or neck pain affected significantly greater percentages of lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women. For example, 53 percent of lesbians and bisexual women experienced lower back or neck pain, versus not quite 40 percent of heterosexuals.
• Nearly 7 percent of gay and bisexual men, compared to 4.8 percent of heterosexual men, suffered chest pain related to heart disease.
• More LGB people reported weakened immune systems: about 17 percent of women, and 15 percent of men, compared to 10 percent of heterosexual women, and 5 percent of heterosexual men.
• Lesbian and bisexual women were up to two times as likely to engage in adverse health behaviors such as excessive drinking.
• More than three-fourths of gay and bisexual men, and almost half of lesbians and bisexual women, had received an HIV test. In contrast, roughly one-fourth of heterosexuals had obtained a test.
• Slightly more lesbian and bisexual women had health insurance than heterosexual women, a possible reflection of professional choices, financial independence or same-sex partner benefits.

But the health disparities among lesbian and bisexual women indicate a population that merits greater attention, Fredriksen-Goldsen said.

“Most people think gay and bisexual men would have more adverse health effects, because of the HIV risk,” she said. “Lesbian and bisexual women tend to be more invisible, less often considered when it comes to health interventions. This is a population that isn’t getting the attention it deserves,” she said.

Bisexual men and women, meanwhile, may be marginalized not only in the general population, but also within gay and lesbian communities. As a result, bisexuals report feeling more isolated and experience greater stress, which, in turn, could lead to more adverse health conditions associated with stress as well as frequent risky health behaviors, Fredriksen-Goldsen said.

Like Aging with Pride, this new national study brings to light the need to target prevention efforts and health care services to improve health and the quality of life of LGB older adults, Fredriksen-Goldsen said.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Other authors were Hyun-Jun Kim, Chengshi Shiu and Amanda E.B. Bryan, all of the 91̽��School of Social Work.

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For more information, contact Fredriksen-Goldsen at fredrikk@uw.edu or 206-543-5722.

Grant number: R01AG026526