Growing Old in the Bible Belt: Resources for Aging LGBT Adults Living in the South

ABSTRACT

There has been an increase in the literature about LGBT older adults in recent years; however, there is a need for further sociological quantitative research examining the impact of geographic region on LGBT aging. Utilizing data from a nationwide survey, this study focuses on the availability of LGBT-specific resources for LGBT aging adults living in the South. We examine the effects of community type and sociodemographics on the availability of LGBT-specific resources as well as the type of resources available. Findings reveal that in the South, community type, having a partner, household income, and education affect the LGBT-specific resources available. Of particular interest, LGBT-affirming faith organizations are identified as the resource most frequently available for LGBT aging adults in this region often referred to as the Bible Belt. Overall, this study sheds light on the LGBT-specific resources that are available to provide social support and help meet the unique needs of LGBT adults aging in the South.

KEYWORDS:

• LGBT
• aging adults
• U.S. South
• rural
• religion
• social support
• Bible Belt

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. We use the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) acronym to remain consistent with the AARP dataset.

2. AARP retains intellectual property rights on the data, and it is only available upon request.

3. The South region includes 16 states (Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas), and Washington D.C. (U.S. Census, 2010).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.