Abstract
This symposium will spotlight emerging research, research gaps, and learnings from practice relative to the aging experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. The symposium will focus on LGBT older adults in three countries: Australia, Brazil and the United States. Aging experiences and conditions among LGBT older adults in these three countries, along with differing states of research and practice, provide illustrative contrasts that highlight the need for further research and more responsive interventions.
For example, Australia and Brazil have made notable progress in reform of public policies and law to guarantee LGBT equity and inclusion. While substantial progress has not been made in either country on service and care interventions for this population, Australia has leveraged government policy to pioneer the establishment of LGBT cultural competency among practitioners. By contrast, the United States has lagged in reform of relevant public policies on aging, but practitioners in that country have pioneered innovative service and care interventions and are now exploring market-based strategies to build cultural competency among practitioners. Research on this population -- relatively new and undeveloped in all three countries – is most advanced in the U.S., emerging in Australia, and virtually non-existent in Brazil.