California Launches First-Ever Statewide Survey of LGBTQIA+ Older Adults to Identify Needs and Priorities

January 25, 2024

Survey responses will form a baseline data set to inform tailored programs and services

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Aging (CDA) and a statewide coalition of LGBTQIA+ community-based organizations and research partners are launching a groundbreaking, statewide online survey of LGBTQIA+ older adults.

"This is an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ older adults to share their perspectives, experiences, needs, and priorities to help inform state policies and programs for older adults," said CDA Director Susan DeMarois. "There’s no baseline data on the aging experiences and needs of older LGBTQIA+ Californians, so survey responses will help paint a current and comprehensive portrait of this community."

"Studies have shown that LGBTQIA+ individuals face significant barriers to access health care, for example," said Kathleen Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of study partner Openhouse. "We’re coordinating with a statewide coalition of organizations to reach as many survey respondents as possible and we encourage all LGBTQIA+ adults aged 50 and older to share their experiences."

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Despite playing a proud and central role in the history of California and communities across the state, the LGBTQIA+ population has faced stigma and barriers to opportunity, support, and services available to them. Information and insights from the survey, gathered in support of the California Master Plan on Aging’s (MPA) equity and inclusion goals, will enable more responsive and accessible services addressing health, mental health, housing, income, caregiving, food assistance, and more.

SURVEY DETAILS: Participation is anonymous and easy. Share your perspective in the Survey of LGBTQIA+ Older Adults: From Challenges to Resilience, now through March 31, 2024. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese.

KEY PARTNERS: Openhouse is a trusted voice in service provision to mid-life and older adults. Other partners are the Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Lab at the University of California, San Francisco; the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services at the University of California (UC) Berkeley; and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at UC Berkeley.