Italian Sexual Minority Older Adults in Healthcare Services: Identities, Discriminations, and Competencies

The Coming-Out Process in Family, Social, and Religious Contexts Among Young, Middle, and Older Italian LGBQ+ Adults

“…Moreover, although they CO at a later average age than both other groups, their decision to conceal their sexual identity from their parents might be due to the fact that their parents passed away before they became comfortable disclosing. The exception of the family doctor, to whom older adults presented the highest rate of disclosure, can be explained by the greater need of LGBQ+ older adults to access healthcare services; this might entail greater confidence in the family doctor, including confidence in disclosing one’s sexual identity ( Gardner et al, 2014 ; Rosati et al, 2020 ).…”

“…LGBQ+ aging people are generally considered as a particularly at-risk subgroup among the overall LGBQ+ population ( Rosenfeld, 1999 ; Shankle et al, 2003 ; Dentato et al, 2014 ; Rosati et al, 2018 , 2020 ). Their vulnerability can be explained considering the intersection of cis-heterosexism, the particularly hostile historical context in which they grew up, and ageism, that refers to the set of negative attitudes toward aging, including individual and institutional practices that perpetuate stereotypes, prejudice, and discriminatory practices toward older people ( Butler, 1969 ).…”

“…In Italy, cis-heterosexism and cis-heteronormativity is pervasive at an institutional level, and LGBQ+ people face stigma and prejudice in several contexts ( Baiocco and Pistella, 2019 ; Rollè et al, 2020 ). Previous research has identified the family, school, and healthcare arenas as potentially negative environments for Italian sexual minorities ( Baiocco et al, 2015 , 2020 ; Rosati et al, 2020 ), and other research has highlighted the relationship between ISS and CO ( Baiocco et al, 2016 ; Pistella et al, 2020b ). As mentioned above, another environment potentially causing minority stress for Italian sexual minorities is represented by the Catholic Church: a recent study ( Garelli, 2013 ) estimated that approximately 80% of Italian citizens identify as Catholic, thus for sure including also a share of the Italian LGBQ+ population.…”

Queer generativity in lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults: Personal, relational, and political/social behaviours

“…For instance, there is no current legislation to protect people from homophobic harassment and discrimination, and there is little or no visibility of LGB subjectivities and relationships in many institutions (Baiocco & Pistella, 2019). This is particularly true for Italian LGB older adults, who grew up in an even more hostile context, which depleted them of traditional family ties, attracted stigma from their religious community, and excluded them from welfare policies (Rosati et al, 2020; Rosati, Pistella, Ioverno, & Baiocco, 2018). After the criminal prosecution of homosexual conducts perpetrated by the Fascist Regime, the beginning of the Republican system in 1946 did not result in the introduction of dispositions specifically protecting LGB people from discrimination.…”

“…Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults are increasingly being recognized as a sexual minority subgroup with specific characteristics (Fredriksen‐Goldsen et al, 2011). On the one hand, they are considered the first LGB ageing generation, with unique concerns that have resulted from ageing within a large heterosexist and ageist society, such as isolation, a lack of family ties, and discriminatory nursing homes (Grossman, D'Augelli, & O'connell, 2001; Johnson, Jackson, Arnette, & Koffman, 2005; Rosati, Pistella, & Baiocco, 2020). On the other hand, these many life stressors, if reflected on and processed, may enable LGB older adults to develop a resilient identity, which is a relevant condition for generativity (Hash & Rogers, 2013; Kimmel, 2015).…”