The working life course of aging LGBTQ workers: an intersectional perspective and a theoretical framework

Abstract Aging LGBTQ workers represent a unique and diverse population of workers who have struggled with homophobic and transphobic social constructions and a prolonged invalidation of their identities, stemming from periods when social exclusion and discrimination dominated their lives. These challenges have imposed multifaceted marginalization not only on their life patterns but also on their occupational trajectories and interpersonal relationships at work. Against this backdrop, drawing attention to characteristics of the occupational careers of aging LGBTQ workers requires focusing on the evolving marginalized social construction across their working life course, throughout their professional paths, and toward their older age and retirement. Appropriately, this article has three goals. First, we aim to synthesize current knowledge on the intersection of work, aging, and individuals with nonheteronormative sexual and gender identities, from a life course perspective. Second, we systematically review empirical studies on the intersection of aging, work, and LGBTQ identities to examine how this intersection is conceptualized and studied. Third, we develop a new theoretical framework best suited to account for the working life course of aging LGBTQ workers, reflecting plausible associations between multilevel contextual factors influencing workplace identity disclosure across occupational development, which in turn influence occupational-economic outcomes in later life. Thus, we propose a novel synergetic perspective on this population’s working life course, focusing on the interaction between aging with nonheteronormative sexual and gender identities, social change, and employability. We conclude by outlining directions for future research on this topic.