Twenty-third International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

The Health Equity Promotion Model posits that people’s intersecting social positions can lead to community resources that can contribute to health and well-being. Aging sexual minority women have intersecting identities, which influence their lived experiences through ageism, sexism, and heterosexism. Based on the Health Equity Promotion Model, the current study hypothesized that aging sexual minority women would show lower levels of social participation when compared to their heterosexual peers. Previous studies have outlined that engaging in arts based activities such as going to local museums can benefit aging adults. The current study utilized the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging survey data, a population-based survey, to examine aging sexual minority women’s social participation levels related to educational and cultural activities such as attending concerts, plays, or visiting museums. The analysis involved 25,469 heterosexual, 274 lesbian, and 121 bisexual women over the age of 45. Contrary to the study’s hypothesis, results show that sexual minority women participate in educational and cultural activities at a higher rate compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Hence, the current research points to the importance of strategies that can lead to the implementation of inclusive practices in arts-based venues like museums and theaters in order to promote healthy aging of minority adults.