The rainbow doesn’t end here: Creating affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ people through the end-of-life journey.

This article is a preview to the Affirming Deathcare Panel Discussion
Presented by AgeFWD, a program of The Pride Chamber
Sponsored by Dignity Memorial
November 19th, 2026, 5:30 – 7 PM
Baldwin Fairchild in Winter Park
RSVP: The Pride Chamber Event Site

You’ve heard me say it: Every person of every identity deserves to be authentically honored in deathcare. It’s my vision for a future where discrimination, marginalization, erasure, and other identity-based harm are not additional stressors at one of the most difficult moments of a person’s life. There’s a lot of work we need to do to get there, and one piece of that is sparking discussions – like the upcoming AgeFWD conversation about identity, dignity, and the LGBTQ+ experience of dying.

When we think about compassionate end-of-life care, we may picture a comforting presence, relief from discomfort, or someone listening closely to what matters. But consider another layer: how does identity inform deathcare decisions and the experience of deathcare? For example: will my partner be recognized? Will the people i consider family be included? Will my name, my identity, and the life i have lived be honored when i can no longer speak for myself?

In my work as a preplanning advisor, i often talk about deathcare through the lens of what happens after a person dies: how their wishes will be carried out, their identity honored, and their life remembered. This discussion broadens that lens to the journey of dying itself. Our panelists will bring perspectives from hospice and death doula work, inviting us to consider how people experience care, relationships, dignity, and autonomy as they approach the end of life.

I’m excited to moderate this panel discussion exploring the LGBTQ+ experience of the journey of death. Featuring Dana Waters of Gentiva Hospice and Ashley Johnson, Death Doula and End of Life Educator, the conversation will invite professionals to move beyond good intentions toward more informed, intentional practices.

Identity doesn’t end at death. The relationships, experiences, beliefs, and expressions that make someone who they are remain meaningful throughout dying, remembrance, and grief. For LGBTQ+ people, questions about whether those parts of their lives will be respected belong in conversations about quality care. As professionals, consideration for what that means and how inclusive deathcare informs our practice belong in our ongoing professional development.

Grief and the uncertainty surrounding dying can leave people feeling especially vulnerable. For LGBTQ+ people and those who matter to them, that vulnerability may be compounded by past discrimination or questions about whether it is safe to share who they are. Introducing a partner, explaining a family relationship, or sharing a name and pronouns can become another moment of coming out, with uncertainty about how that information will affect the care they receive. At a time when people need support, they may also feel the need to protect themselves.

Even well-intentioned assumptions can create barriers where we need connection. Religious language offered as comfort may be painful for someone who has experienced religious trauma or may simply overlook their Religious, Secular, or Spiritual Identity (RSSI). Assuming someone’s gender, pronouns, or family relationships can leave them feeling unseen—and responsible for correcting the people they are relying on for help. Asking what brings someone comfort, who matters to them, and how they wish to be addressed creates space for their answers to guide our care.

Finding trusted support can itself be an overwhelming task during a crisis. People may have little time or energy to determine whether a provider’s promise of inclusion is supported by staff education, organizational practices, and experience serving LGBTQ+ communities. This is why affirming care means more than saying “all are welcome.” It requires professionals to become educated about the identities and experiences of the people they serve, examine their own biases, and turn that understanding into everyday practice. Building trusted referral relationships before a crisis is one way we can help make that care easier to find.

Research underscores why this conversation matters. A 2020 study of 865 hospice and palliative care providers¹ found that nearly one in four respondents had observed discriminatory care toward lesbian, gay, or bisexual patients and one in five providers had observed discriminatory care toward transgender people. Fifteen percent had observed a spouse’s or partner’s treatment decisions being disregarded or minimized. These findings raise a practical question for all of us: How do we make sure our commitment to inclusion is reflected in the care people actually experience?

The discussion will follow four connected steps: understand, examine, apply, and act. What should professionals understand about LGBTQ+ end-of-life experiences? Where might well-intentioned providers fall short? How can identity, chosen family, and personal wishes remain central as care needs change? And what are concrete practices we each can implement to better support LGBTQ+ people and those who matter to them?

This conversation also connects to the AgeFWD broader purpose: building a network of affirming professionals who serve LGBTQ+ older adults and who can learn from one another and serve as a trusted referral network.

Whether your work involves deathcare directly or connects you with people navigating aging, caregiving, and loss, you have a place in this discussion. Bring your questions, your experience, and a willingness to examine familiar practices through someone else’s perspective.

Every person of every identity deserves to be authentically honored in deathcare. Join us on November 19 to explore what that commitment looks like in everyday work.

Visit The Pride Chamber’s event page to RSVP.

1. Stein GL, Berkman C, O’Mahony S, Godfrey D, Javier NM, Maingi S. Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Patients and Families in Hospice and Palliative Care: Perspectives of the Palliative Care Team. J Palliat Med. 2020 Jun;23(6):817-824. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2019.0542. Epub 2020 Jan 9. PMID: 31916901.