Gay and lesbian adults more likely to age alone

A new survey of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender baby boomers shows they are less likely to be in a relationship than non-gay boomers and more likely to be concerned about caring for themselves as they age. Yet, the survey of 2,400 adults age 45 to 64 -- half of them heterosexual -- found that two-thirds of the non-straight people do have a "chosen family" of friends to support them.

"Still Out, Still Aging," conducted in December by MetLife, found that just 61% of the LGBT community described themselves as being in a relationship, compared to 77% of heterosexuals surveyed. The boomer group is considered an important force in the senior citizen population of the future because they were at the forefront of the gay rights movement, according to Sandra Timmermann, director of MetLife's Mature Market Institute.

"The result is a cohort of strong individuals who will continue to blaze trails as older Americans," Timmermann said, in a Metlife release.