ABSTRACT
As LGBT persons grow older, they rely more on public programs and social services for care and assistance. This most likely means less independence from heterosexist institutions (Cahill et al., 2000) in which they may not even be welcome. For example, openly lesbian and gay persons are not welcome in senior centers in New York City (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, 2000). Of particular concern is what happens to a transgender person with a noncongruent body (an uninformed observer may think that the genitals or other physical features of a person do not match the gender and/or legal identity). What will happen when this person has to be intimately assisted by health care providers and caregivers, such as with bathing?
