The future of LGBT ageing: Rethinking research directions

The future of LGBT ageing: Rethinking research directions

On the 22nd October MICRA and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Manchester, supported by the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives, Age UK and the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, will be bringing together academics, researchers, policy makers and practitioners to consider the future research priorities in relation to ageing LGBT individuals

Over the past 60 years societies’ attitudes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* identities have radically changed. However, the people who lived through these changes are now beginning to age. Older LGBT people face many of the same challenges and rewards around ageing as the general population. However, they may also face additional issues or disadvantages particular to their sexuality and gender identity. Research has begun to address LGBT ageing but there is much research left to do and the methodological techniques and debates are still in their infancy. In addition, translating this research into public policy, and ensuring health and social care practitioners understand the relevance of gender identity and sexuality in relation to ageing remains a challenge.

This conference, organised by Dr Stephen Hicks, Dr Maurice Nagington and Dr Tommy Dickinson, aims to open up these debates and to provide a forum for discussion of the key methodological questions raised by research on, with or by LGBT older people as well as developing research priorities.

The conference will begin with two keynote presentations:

• Dr Julie Fish, Reader in Social Work & Health Inequalities at De Montfort University, Leicester, will talk on: “New Futures: exchanging research knowledge about older LGBT communities”
• Dr Andrew King, Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Surrey will talk on: “Ageing at the margins? Some reflections on researching LGBT ageing”.

There will then be opportunities for discussion and workshops considering current and future directions in relation to research on older lesbian and bisexual women; older trans* people; older gay men and HIV; and a workshop devoted to the methodological challenges of future research on or with older LGBT people.

*The conference would be suitable for academics, researchers, policy makers and practitioners working in the area of LGBT ageing.*

Schedule for the day:

9.30 Registration

10.00 Introduction by chair

10.05 Overview of the day

10.15 Dr Julie Fish

11.00 Coffee break

11.15 Dr Andrew King

12.00 Choice of two workshops: 1. Older LGBT people: developing research methodologies

2. Researching older lesbian and bisexual women

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Choice of two workshops: 1. Trans* Ageing: Future Research Directions

2. Gay men, ageing and HIV: future research directions

15.00 Feedback from workshops

16.00 event ends

*If you use Twitter please use the hashtag #futurelgbtageing to follow our event