If we all have nothing else in common in our San Diego LGBT community, one indisputable fact is that we are all aging. Whether we want to or not, whether we try to hide it or not, the old adage is true: None of us are getting any younger. The reality is that over the next decade, one in four LGBT San Diegans will be considered a “senior.”

Today, the age at which we are defined as a senior has dropped. While still not consistent across the board, some define seniors not just as 65, but increasingly at age 50. At the same time we are being defined as seniors earlier in our lives, our life expectancy has increased significantly.

Being considered a “senior” is not something we will only experience for 10 or 15 years, but rather (and hopefully) for 30 to 40 years. That means entering into our lives as seniors is no longer the short period previously referred to as “those few golden years” – it’s really the start of the second half of our lives.

Many of us who are still looking forward to the second half of our lives have to plan and consider things in a whole new way. This is especially true since many of us facing this time in our lives fully expect to live in vital, active and fulfilling ways, no matter what our age. Yet if we hope to live the second half in healthy and vibrant ways, we must take our lessons from those who come before us.

We at The Center are incredibly proud of our Seniors Services, and we have learned a great deal from the increased participation of seniors in our organization. In addition to providing essential guidance to the LGBT equal rights movement of today, LGBT seniors are showing us some of the things we should do as a community to support each other as we age. By examining and working to resolve the challenges LGBT seniors face, many of us will be better prepared for our lives after 50.

Today’s generation of seniors came of age at a time where simply being LGB or T was illegal. Living through severe discrimination and oppression can have long-lasting effects – not just psychologically, but economically as well.

Recently, the Alliance Healthcare Foundation conducted a survey of LGBT seniors, and some of their findings were alarming. Nearly half of LGBT seniors reported significant financial concerns, having less than $10,000 in total assets. There are LGBT seniors right here in San Diego who are having difficulty getting basic nutrition and food regularly, and 30 percent who are worried about finding or keeping their housing.

In addition to financial concerns, one of the key components of health and happiness as we age is connection to community. Because we often don’t have the support of our extended biological families, or don’t live near them, LGBT people can miss out on that intact family/neighbor support structure that so many of our parents or siblings may enjoy.

LGBT seniors often have less of a support network. Think about it and I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with examples. An elderly woman is too frail to keep up with her yardwork, and the man next door takes care of it for her. Your physically capable parents have just purchased their first computer and can’t figure out e-mail, and your cousin down the street comes over and provides a crash course. Too often, as LGBT people, we don’t have that type of familial or neighborhood support. Knowing this makes our efforts to build community in LGBT San Diego more important than ever.

We must talk about these issues, openly and honestly, so that we can better support LGBT seniors today and prepare ourselves – and those who will follow us – for our own second acts.

Today’s LGBT seniors were the pioneers of our movement, and they need and deserve our support. They also have a tremendous amount of energy, talent and life experience to offer our community leaders of today and, more importantly, the leaders of tomorrow. Supporting and learning from our LGBT seniors rather than keeping them invisible is not only the right thing to do, it is a stance that will benefit us all.