HIGHLIGHTING UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR LGBTQ+ ELDERS
“Loving John is…[a] magnificent representation of topics and roles that very seldom get screen time.”
— VIDEO LIBRARIAN
A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT LIFE, LOVE AND A TICKING CLOCK
Watch the Trailer
John Godinet and his husband, Peter, have lived near Frederick Maryland for more than thirty years. Their lives take an unexpected turn when John is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in his sixties. Peter, ten years older, becomes his full-time caregiver. LOVING JOHN, a PBS documentary, profiles their struggle and highlighting vulnerabilities faced by many LGBTQ+ elders in this country.
ALS is deadly for everyone. Life expectancy is 3 to 5 years. ALS takes away a person’s ability to move, speak, eat, and finally to breathe. As John’s health fails, Peter’s caregiving burden ratches up. Both feel the strain – physical, emotional and psychological.
Meeting the Unexpected
“We haven’t killed each other yet.” / “Close! We came awfully close!”
— JOHN GODINET / PETER, John’s Husband
Aging LGBTQ+ individuals and families are especially vulnerable to crises like John’s and Peter’s. Medical needs can be overlooked or discounted. Queer elders are less likely to have family support: they’re four times less likely to have children and twice as likely to be single. John, born in American Samoa, has a large extended family, but most members are eight time zones away. Peter’s family is small and distant.
Lack of Support
Generally, queer elders have higher rates of disability and poorer general health compared to heterosexual peers. They’re less likely to undergo preventive health screenings or join social networks that can be important factors to successful aging, like caregiving circles and support groups. Nearly one-third screen positive for depression.
Vulnerability
“I went through life blurred… If you stop and think about it, that’s when it hits.”
— JOHN GODINET
Battling the Past
Virtually all queer elders have experienced past discrimination, and many still guard their privacy. More than a third entering elder care report hiding their sexual orientation. John was abused growing up as a “fa’afafine” in American Samoa and as a gay man in the U.S. military. While generally outgoing, he and Peter have remained cautious as to who knows they’re gay.
There has been some progress legislatively to address queer elders’ special needs, though not enough. The 2025 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, originally passed in 1965, contains language holding local communities responsible for addressing the needs of queer elders. But recently, the Department of Social Services has said it will stop enforcing these provisions.
An Authentic and Multi-Faceted Film
LOVING JOHN is poignantly real, interweaving several social issues. John and Peter’s ALS journey gets more and more difficult as John’s disability gets greater, making Peter’s caregiving burden unspeakably difficult. As a Pacific Islander, John finds deep family and cultural support, while enduring the effects of sexual trauma and discrimination. They’re both veterans, and the VA looms large in their lives.
"It's no quality of life to be hiding who you are, to not be your authentic self, to basically be forced to live a lie.”
— BRITTA LARSON, SAGECare Trainer
Join Us!
We’re committed to join forces with advocates in the LGBTQ+ community to underscore and amplify the need to provide dedicated support services for our burgeoning queer elder population.
LOVING JOHN is a powerful tool that can be used a number of ways:
National PBS Broadcast reaching millions of viewers;
Screenings & Panel Discussions in partnership with colleges and universities;
Community Fundraisers with aligned organizations;
Custom Educational Tools for communities across the country.
Reach Out for More Information
