Ride-hailing drivers are the new bartenders – they listen to people’s problems, complaints, and even confessions. Sure, not everyone shows the same sort of quality service and prefers to sit and silence, but now and then people like to go above and beyond driving and really makes someone’s whole day.

Twitter user @Cimónalisa 7.15 shared a now-viral thread about one such experience with one of her customers and the internet’s heart melted. She picked up an old woman who asked her what seemed like an odd question at first: had she ever been with a woman? but as they talked further the conversation turned into an experience that would change this passenger’s life.

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People in the comments were touched by the heartwarming tale

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LGBTQ older adults are an underserved community that faces many unique problems not always understood by today’s generation. According to a Gallup poll, by 2060 this group’s numbers will exceed five million, and will account for more than 20 million older adults, including those who do not publicly self-identify but have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior, or romantic relationships, and/or are attracted to members of the same sex. The progress of millennials (set in motion by those before them) has fueled this increase.

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“The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health,” according to author Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, professor at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work. “The health disparities reflect the historical and social context of their lives, and the serious adversity they have encountered can jeopardize their health and willingness to seek services in old age,” she said in a statement.

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While millennials today enjoy freedoms and benefits that the elder community did not, there is still progress left to be made – which some in the previous generation feel they don’t realize. Popular YouTube vlogger Arielle Scarcella interviewed a group of LGBT elders at New York City’s iconic Stonewall Inn to ask them their thoughts about today’s queer youth. Said Stonewall co-owner Stacy Lentz in the video: “As we become more heteronormative, the younger generation has this ability to not identify on any level and also not participate in the community at all…The sense of family and community is starting to dwindle — especially with Tindr and Grindr… So it’s upsetting because I think there’s a sense of entitlement with the younger generation — they have to understand not only did people fight for these rights, we still are fighting for those rights and have so much to do and we can’t do it if the next generation is not going to get involved and carry that torch.”

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