Midlife and older LGBT adults : knowledge and affirmative practice for the social services - Hunter, Ski. (New York : Haworth Press, 2005)
Introduction -- The studies -- Numbers of midlife and older LGBT persons -- When does midlife or older age happen? -- Historical contexts -- The turning point of Stonewall -- The HIV/AIDS epidemic -- Finding out who one is and telling others -- Concepts, identities, and terms -- Gender and sex -- Sexual orientation -- Sexual identity -- Unsettled terminology -- Other terms -- Summary -- Coming out and disclosure -- Stages of the coming-out process -- Coming out in midlife and later -- Disclosures -- Family of origin -- Racial and ethnic families -- Disclosures to marital partners -- Disclosures to children -- Disclosure management -- Summary -- Life arenas -- Education, work, and community participation -- Education and income -- Work aspirations and work lives -- Community development and participation -- Benefits of community involvement -- Social services -- Summary -- Family links -- Older parent-child links -- Special roles in one's family of origin -- Chosen families -- Friends -- Couples -- Midlife and older lesbian and gay couples -- Duration of links -- Summary -- Positives versus downturns -- Positives -- Positives for older lesbian and gay persons -- Positives in midlife -- Summary -- Downturns of aging -- Psychological issues -- Loss and bereavement -- Economics and housing issues -- Health care system -- Summary -- Changes in diagnostics, treatments and human services -- Battles and victories -- Oppressive treatments of lesbian and gay persons -- The new affirmative practice -- Human services today -- Ongoing heterosexist attitudes in practice -- Requirements of practitioners and social services agencies -- Affirmative environment, language, and questions -- Summary -- Overview of practice issues with midlife and older LGBT persons -- Issues lesbians may experience at midlife -- Issues gay persons may experience at midlife -- Issues that older lesbian and gay persons may experience -- Practice principles for working with older lesbian and gay persons -- Summary -- Practice issues: coming out and disclosures -- Coming-out issues for lesbian and gay persons -- Coming-out issues for bisexual persons -- Coming-out issues for transgender persons -- Disclosures -- Summary -- Practice with couples and families -- Issues involving internalized oppression -- Issues involving identity development and disclosure -- Benefits of social support -- Legal protections in the event of serious illness, death or breakup -- Issues experienced by couples with bisexual members -- HIV/AIDS -- Families -- Summary -- Group and community practice with older lesbian and gay persons -- Two models for services -- Community organizing on behalf of older lesbian and gay persons -- Use of social services -- Summary.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-238) and index.
Keywords: Middle-aged sexual minorities; Older sexual minorities; Social work with gay people; Aging