Aging Perceptions in Older Gay and Bisexual Men in Portugal

Abstract

Aims and Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions toward aging among Portuguese gay and bisexual men over 60 years old. Background Despite the growth of the older population, and the increased visibility and acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in Western countries, the experience of aging in older gay and bisexual men is only beginning to be understood. Design We used a qualitative research methodology, based on critical gerontology, for establishing research questions and to identify the perspectives on the aging process in older gay and bisexual individuals. Methods We used a structured electronic inquiry with 25 gay and bisexual men over 60 years of age from Portugal. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to help identify repeated patterns of meaning in the data set. Results The recurrent themes in the narratives of the aging experiences of the participants in the study were as follows: positive perceptions of aging, negative perceptions of aging, coping with being a gay/bisexual man and family ties, professional care, homophobia/discrimination, relationships and social support, intergenerational differences, mediating role of sexual orientation, sociopolitical changes, and personal characteristics. Conclusion Analysis of perceptions about the aging process in older gay and bisexual men emphasized the desire for normalization in the social awareness of sexual orientation. It is important to continue doing research on this topic and disseminate this information among professionals who work with older lesbian, gay, and bisexual people so that they may better understand how they can meet the specific needs of this population.

The State of Theory in LGBTQ Aging: Implications for Gerontological Scholarship

“…This often took the form of providing a motivation or sociohistorical context for the study. For example, several articles used minority stress theory to situate and motivate an investigation into the various lived experiences of LGBT older adults in a heterosexist and transphobic society; however, they did not consistently apply or develop this theory throughout the design, analysis, findings, and discussion of the study (Mock & Schryer, 2017; Periera et al, 2017; Stanley & Duong, 2015). We found that in 25% of these articles, authors used theory or a concept for the purpose of conceptual development or expansion.…”

“…We found a wide range of types of theories or concepts implied or used in these articles, but several dominant approaches stand out. The most commonly used theory or concept implied or consistently applied revolved around notions of stress (16% of all articles); most often, specifically referencing minority stress and the ways in which members of minority groups experience individual-level and community-level stressors (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kim, Muraco, & Mincer, 2009; Gardner, de Vries, & Mockus, 2014; Gonzales & Henning-Smith, 2015; Hoy-Ellis & Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2017; Jenkins Morales, King, Hiler, Coopwood, & Wayland, 2014; Kuyper & Fokkema, 2010; Lyons et al, 2018; Mock & Schryer, 2017; Periera et al, 2018; Rowan & Beyer, 2017; Stanley & Duong, 2015; Velduis, Talley, Hancock, Wilsnack, & Hughes, 2017; Woody, 2015), along with conceptualizations of social stress (Kim & Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2017) and combinations of social stress and minority stress (Wight, LeBlanc, deVries, & Detels, 2012). In one case, the concept of minority stress was integrated with a resilience perspective (Woody, 2015).…”

Mental health, resilience and HIV in older gay and bisexual men

“…In Portugal, HIV antiretroviral treatment is available to all citizens free of charge, as long as patients adhere to the prescribed medication regimen. However, an HIV diagnosis affects individuals' emotional and sexual lives, particularly MSM (Pereira et al, 2017), who are at a disproportionate risk of being affected by sexually transmitted diseases (Cochran, 2001).…”

“…Moreover, MSM diagnosed with HIV appear to be more likely to suffer from depressive and anxious symptoms than their HIVnegative peers . In a study by Pereira et al (2017), with a sample of self-identified Portuguese MSM, some reported feelings associated with a type of double stigma that simultaneously encompassed their HIV diagnosis and their sexual orientation, describing the need to deal with both social stigmas, as well as problems arising from anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.…”

“…Num estudo de Pereira, et al (2017), realizado em Portugal, muitos homens gays e bissexuais mais velhos enfatizaram que a aceitação total das suas características pessoais, especialmente a sua homossexualidade ou bissexualidade, e a aceitação das transformações que se encontram inerentes ao processo de envelhecimento foi o que levou a que se sentissem confortáveis na sua própria pessoa. Além disso, ter relações conjugais, uma rede de amigos, saúde física e boa autoestima ajuda, de igual modo, no combate ao stress em indivíduos LGBT mais velhos (Antunes, 2017), sendo que a família aparenta ser a melhor fonte de suporte psicossocial para lidar com as situações de preconceito e, desta forma, a aceitação da orientação sexual por parte da família proporciona um processo de envelhecimento mais positivo (Leite, 2014), fundamental para um bom ajustamento mental.…”