Abstract
This article aims to open up debate on the policy implications of ageing sexualities. The article begins by discussing the heteronormative perspective that frames current discourse on older people's needs and citizenship. It then presents data from an empirical study to highlight the concerns that older lesbians and gay men have about housing, health and social service provision, work and job security, and relationship recognition. The article illustrates how the heterosexual assumption that informs policy making can limit the development of effective strategies for supporting older lesbians and gay men; and raises broader questions about policy making, social inclusion and citizenship.
Highlights
Recent years have witnessed a growing recognition among researchers, policy makers and social service providers of the changing and diverse living circumstances of the older population (e.g. Minichiello, Browne and Kending, 2000; Bernard and Phillips, 2000)
Some argue that policy makers must recognise the older population as consumers of services, and ‘citizens’ (Simey, 1998: 254)
As an ‘unseen minority’ (Brown, Sarosy, Cook and Quarto, 1997), the specific concerns of older lesbians and gay men, and the implications of their sexual identities for compromised citizenship in later life, are issues that have hitherto been largely neglected by policy makers, advocates for older people and lesbian and gay communities (Cahill, South and Spade, 2000)
Summary
This article aims to open up debate on the policy implications of ageing sexualities. The article begins by discussing the heteronormative perspective that frames current discourse on older people’s needs and citizenship. It presents data from an empirical study to highlight the concerns that older lesbians and gay men have about housing, health and social service provision, work and job security, and relationship recognition. The article illustrates how the heterosexual assumption that informs policy making can limit the development of effective strategies for supporting older lesbians and gay men; and raises broader questions about policy making, social inclusion and citizenship
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