A group in Irapuato, Guanajuato, has submitted a proposal for the creation of a Gerontological Recreation Center to address the specific needs of LGBT+ older adults, a group facing high levels of vulnerability.
According to Arturo Álvarez Martínez, president and founder of the Human Development and Sexuality Association (Dehusex), the project seeks to offer comprehensive support to this group, promoting their physical and mental health, as well as their social integration.
Álvarez Martínez explained that the center’s main objective is to combat the loneliness that affects many older adults in the LGBT+ community, who often live in isolation and face difficulties accessing basic services.
In addition, the center aims to promote recreational and occupational activities that allow them to stay active and supported.
“The main point is support. We are at an age where this stage must be prevented. I think it serves as an example, a testament, to see these LGBT+ people in the population who live alone and do not work, and their health, which is important,” said Álvarez Martínez.
The project, which is currently being negotiated with local authorities, also seeks to address structural problems affecting this sector, such as job exclusion and lack of access to social programs.
According to the president of Dehusex, many older LGBT+ people face significant economic hardship, as they must cover rent and utility costs without employment or sufficient government support.
The center’s proposal not only focuses on providing a safe and welcoming space, but also on ensuring that older LGBT+ people can access adequate health services, especially considering that this group is more prone to chronic illnesses.
Álvarez Martínez emphasized that, in her experience working with a group of 16 people, she has identified the urgent need to create a space that promotes the comprehensive well-being of this population.
The collective hopes that the initiative can materialize in the short term, thanks to collaborative work with local authorities. The creation of this center would represent an important step toward raising awareness and addressing the needs of LGBT+ older adults, who are often excluded from public policies and face multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion.
In Mexico, LGBT+ older adults face vulnerabilities stemming from decades of discrimination, invisibility, and lack of legal recognition. Many have experienced family rejection, exclusion from work, and the pathologization of their identities.
These experiences impact their emotional health and limit their access to health services and pensions. Initiatives such as the Vida Alegre Day Center seek to provide support, but are insufficient.
It is urgent to include this population in public policies that guarantee a dignified and inclusive old age. Caring for them is a matter of social justice and recognition of those who have resisted in profoundly adverse contexts.
Source: infobae
