It hasn't been easy for this generation of gays. Randi Adler, program director at Jewish Family Service of Greater Miami, works with many elderly gays and lesbians who are terrified to come out of the closet. They live in the same mentality they grew up with, that gay was bad. These communities may not look different from mainstream communities, but the attitudes inside make all the difference. Instead of concentrating on comparing pictures of grandchildren, those in a gay and lesbian community can feel comfortable with their decision not to have families.
Activities can reflect their lifestyle.
Other services geared specifically towards gay and lesbian seniors also have begun. In New York, Senior Action in a Gay Environment, or SAGE, runs a friendly visitor program that matches younger and healthier gays and lesbians with those who are homebound, taking the place that children might play in straight seniors' lives. It's a program that officials at the national organization hope SAGE chapters across the country, including the one in Broward County, will adopt. Gay men over 50 have their own cyber connection, Silver Strands. The support groups have cropped up only in recent years.