National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

FORGE’s Transgender Aging Network (TAN) is honored to be one of SAGE’s (http://www.sageusa.org)  10 partners in the groundbreaking, federally-funded National Resource Center on LGBT Aging (the “Center”)( http://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/).  Currently, TAN is working with the other Center training partners – PHI, LGBT Aging Project, openhouse, Griot Circle, and CenterLink to develop consensus curricula for training aging network professionals about LGBT elders, and for training LGBT community groups about aging. We also assist the Center in developing its resource and reference materials, including those aimed at helping LGBT individuals plan for their future aging and long-term care needs. To find out more or to sign up for regular email updates on Center activities, go to http://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/.

National LGBT Policy Development

Despite what some critics say, the Obama Administration has spearheaded a radical shift in the federal government’s attitude toward and interest in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population.  To make the most of this window of opportunity, FORGE staff member Loree Cook-Daniels represents the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) on two national coalitions focused on improving federal LGBT policy: the National Policy Roundtable (NPR) (http://www.thetaskforce.org/our_work/public_policy/national_policy_roundtable)and the New Beginnings Initiative (NBI) (http://www.thetaskforce.org/newadmin/newbeginning_intro.html).

NCAVP is currently working with both the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to improve crime victim providers’ LGBT cultural competency, to add non-discrimination requirements for all grantees, and to develop LGBT-specific funding streams.  Informally, Loree also represents transgender and LGB aging issues on NPR and NBI.

National LGBT Aging Roundtable

TAN is an active member of the National LGBT Aging Roundtable, which holds monthly teleconferences and annual in-person meetings to identify and work toward achieving policy changes that could improve the quality of life for LGBT older adults.  The Roundtable also sponsors an annual Aging Intensive at the Creating Change conference (http://www.creatingchange.org/)  TAN also “caucuses” with Midwest LGBT aging organizations to share best practices and identify and pursue opportunities to change policies or practices to better serve LGBT older adults.

Caring and Aging with Pride

The National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging is funding this groundbreaking national project to better understand the health and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and older adults.  TAN has partnered with the study’s sponsor, the Institute for Multigenerational Health at the University of Washington, and the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen, to ensure transgender elders take the survey and to help analyze the results.   (If you are an LGBT elder age 50+, the survey will be open until the end of January 2011.  You can take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NJYS5M5.)   To learn more about the project, its website is http://depts.washington.edu/agepride/.