Boulder among top spots for LGBTQ retirees

Aug. 24--Boulder's long history of being on the forefront of protecting the rights of residents who identify as members of the LGBTQ community has been recognized once more. A 2019 report by SeniorAdvice ranked the city among the top 20 spots for members of the community to retire.

Local LGBTQ residents and advocates generally agreed with the report, but also cited some difficulties retirees might face.

The report used several metrics to determine Boulder's 12th place spot, including the city's score on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index, which looks at how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people in communities where they live and work. (Boulder's score is 92 on 2018 Municipal Equality Index), and presence of an LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.

The report states, "The county of Boulder was second in the nation to grant same-sex marriage licenses. In 1974, Boulder became the first city in the state to offer municipal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and years later, protecting gender identity. About a decade ago, these LGBTQ protections were extended to employment, housing and public accommodation."

Scott Beard and his husband, Fintan Steele, in 2010 moved to Boulder from Boston.

"Boulder is beautiful. It's very inclusive," said Beard, a trust attorney who recently helped establish the Boulder County LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. "Our long-term goal was to retire here."

Before they met each other in 2000 in Manhattan, both of them had visited Boulder in the 1990s and fallen in love with the place, Beard said.

"Our love for Boulder is among the things we have in common. When Fintan got a job offer with SomaLogic, we moved here," he said.

In Boulder, several industries, particularly biotech, software and financial services, have embraced the LGBTQ community as they continue to look for talent. This culture of inclusion continues to attract diverse people who often end up making Boulder their home permanently, said John Roberts, a principal and senior portfolio manager at Segall Bryant & Hamill in Denver. His company started a fund that invested in LGBTQ-friendly companies about 20 years ago..

Generally, people tend to retire where they work, said Elisabeth Borden, principal at The Highland Group. Inc., a senior housing and care community consultancy in Louisville.

Boulder is more LGBTQ-friendly than other places, but a relative lack of affordable housing doesn't make it a magnet for everyone, Borden said.

LGBTQ community members tend to have fewer resources, she said.

They also have a lot less family to rely upon: Aging presents unique challenges for the LGBTQ population, she said. Studies show 85% of long-term care to heterosexuals is provided by adult children and spouses, Borden said. .

Boulder County has a number of organization that are helping create a larger support network for LGBTQ people, and taking care of older LGBTQ adults, she said.

Borden pointed to Boulder County's Project Visibility, a cultural competency training program for service providers to work with local LGBTQ elders, as one of many unique resources in the community.

"We have some very good programs for people who live here," said Borden, who identified herself as a member of the LGBTQ community.

She said the growing support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights is helping develop LGBTQ-friendly senior housing properties nationally, and many states have developed affordable housing targeted for the LGBTQ community.

"I hope someone will develop this in Boulder," Borden said.

Mardi Moore, executive director of Out Boulder County, echoed Borden's assessment that Boulder's lack of affordable and attainable housing can be an impediment for LGBTQ retirees. She also noted her organization's recent community survey suggests LGBTQ members "continue to face discrimination and struggle with access to adequate support services" in Boulder.

Moore said lesbians tend to be less prepared for retirement financially. Women traditionally have faced discrimination in workplaces, and they've been trapped in professions that don't pay well. Often they also don't have a family, which denies them the benefits of a family income, she said. Less income means fewer opportunities to save and invest, she said.

Recently, Out Boulder organized a workshop on financial planning for those 50 and older.

"There are a lot of limited-income LGBTQ older adults in Boulder County," said Judith Blair, a semi-retired business consultant, a member of Rainbow Elders in Boulder county and a volunteer for the group as well. . "More than you might think."

Many of those with limited incomes choose to live in Boulder County because they find a sense of community here, she said. Most older adults came out when they were young, at a time when there was far less social acceptance of diversity, she said.

"In Boulder County old queers like me don't have to be isolated. There are options here," Blair said.

The Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (one of 16 in the state) is the only aging division with a full-time dedicated staff person to coordinate LGBTQ+ programs and services, said Michael Chifalo, an LGBTQ program specialist with the agency. It provides regular coffee and supper meetings for Rainbow Elders, produces a monthly e-newsletter for its more than 1,200 subscribers, and hosts the annual Lavender Gala to celebrate older adults, he said.

"We are launching a new volunteer program called Rainbow Connections, where LGBTQ+ or allied community members provide volunteer services to isolated or compromised LGBTQ+ older adults through weekly phone calls, visits and/or outings," Chifalo said.

Boulder is progressive, and the presence of groups like "Out Boulder County, BCAP , PFLAG, University of Boulder Colorado , A Queer Endeavor, an initiative focused on supporting teachers and school communities around topics of gender and sexual diversity, Queer Asterisk, a team of queer and trans therapists and educators serving the LGBTQPIA communities, Rainbow Elders and Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation and gender identity Support program, or OASOS, all help to create a community that values LGBTQ+ inclusivity," he said.

Members of the LGBTQ community generally make less money compared to heterosexuals, according to a 2018 Financial Wellness Census by Prudential. "Half of the LGBTQ respondents in our sample reported that their household income was below $50,000, while the median household income for non-LGBTQ survey respondents was closer to $70,000. LGBTQ women, in particular, lagged on the income front, with 40% reporting household income below $30,000, versus 35% of LGBTQ men and just 24% of both non-LGBTQ men and women."

The Prudential census also reported despite comparable access to workplace retirement plans, LGBTQ respondents are saving less for retirement than their non-LGBTQ counterparts.

It's because the LGBTQ community traditionally faced discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, said Roberts of Segall Bryant & Hamill. The wage gap between women and men has fed into the lesbian community, he said. The denial of partner benefits until the legalization of same-sex marriage also contributed to the relative lack of financial planning among LGBTQ folks, he said. For example, earlier Social Security benefits were only available to heterosexual spouses.

"LGBTQ people had nowhere to go. With marriage equality they can take advantage of all financial planning techniques," Roberts said.

Roberts, who described himself as a straightish-ally of LGBTQ, said as more and more people realize they have family and friends who identify as LGBTQ, they would become allies.

"They are needed to help drive a positive change," he said.

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