Is Age Just a Number? Ageism and Quality of Life Among Filipino LGBT Older Adults

Aging members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community experience heterosexism and age-based discrimination that may contribute to lower quality of life as they age. This two-phase, sequential-explanatory study investigates perceived ageism, quality of life, and the unique experiences of 155 LGBT Filipinos between 45 and 74 years old. Phase 1 is a quantitative, cross-sectional design examining whether ageism predicts quality of life. Participants completed the everyday ageism scale (EAS) which measures perceived age-based discrimination and the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) which measures material, physical, social, and personal well-being. Phase 2 is a phenomenological design that further examines LGBT Filipino aging experiences using in-person semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Quantitative results from Phase 1 showed that everyday ageism predicts quality of life among Filipino LGBT older adults. Thematic analysis in Phase 2 supported these findings and revealed six essential themes (empowerment through advocacy and visibility; health and autonomy; integrated support system; social interaction and connectivity; professional fulfillment and community engagement; quality of life and aging perspectives) that contribute to LGBT participants' quality of life. Given the lack of literature examining the aging LGBT Filipino population, our results have implications for policy, practice, and research aimed at providing more inclusive and targeted support initiatives for this community.