June was chosen for LGBTQ+ Pride month because in June 1969 there was an “uprising” at the Stonewall Inn in New York City that sparked a liberation movement. That was over 50 years ago. Many of those who have struggled in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights are older adults now, which comes with a host of new challenges. As author Dave Singleton put it, decades after Stonewall, “We’re still in the early stages of grasping what it really means to be LGBT and older.”

And still fighting for those rights. Last month, the Elder Pride Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives, which would help Area Agencies on Aging better serve and support LGBTQ seniors in rural communities. More than 3 million LGBTQ people live in rural American communities.

"Those who live in rural areas frequently face increased barriers, which Congress can break down," said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), chair of the Equality Caucus’s LGBTQ+ Aging Issues Task Force, who helped introduce the legislation. "The Elder Pride Act will increase resources for programs and services that will improve the lives of LGBTQI+ elders.”

"The rights and needs of LGBTQIA+ people, especially those who are older, have always been important to JABA," says Marta Keane, CEO of JABA, our local Area Agency on Aging. "Many older adults face isolation and

loneliness, often with few family members to provide encouragement or support, and for LGBTQIA+ older adults there's the added fear of being honest about one’s identity, especially in care settings, with most having experienced victimization multiple times in their lives. And this can be

particularly acute for those seniors living in rural communities."

According to SAGE and the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, there will be 7 million people identifying as LGBTQ+ over the age of 50 by 2030, and these older adults are two times more likely to be single or live alone and four times less likely to have children to provide support. Indeed, according to an AARP “Maintaining Dignity Survey” several years ago, 76 percent of LGBTQ adults over 45 worried about having adequate family and social support systems to fall back on— and most worried about abuse, neglect and harassment in long-term care settings.

As a result, 53% of LGBTQ+ older adults feel isolated from others, and caregiving challenges fall heavy on the community --- 21% of older LGBTQ+ people have provided care to friends, compared to only 6% of non-LGBTQ+ older adults. And statistics show us that LGBTQ+ older adults and caregivers are more likely to face poverty, homelessness and have poor physical and mental health. While Pride Month is a time to celebrate how far we've come, it is also a time to recognize how much still needs to be done.

"Those statistics highlight the issues that we address with all seniors, but they can be especially challenging for LGBTQ+ older adults," says Keane. "That's why we're always seeking opportunities to celebrate the value in diversity and strive for equity and inclusion in our programs and services."

Indeed, for those who came of age during the modern gay rights movement, there's another frontier to conquer - aging with dignity.

"Our LGBTQ elder pioneers are fierce,” Lynn Faria, executive

vice president at SAGE has said. “They're the ones that lit the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement, and they're the fighters on the front lines today saying, ‘We refuse to be treated this way; we refuse to be invisible.’ "

David McNair handles communications, media relations, and social media efforts for JABA. This article originally appeared in C-Ville Weekly.