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Equity Action releases LGBTQ Elder Care Summit Briefing
"While lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) elders contend with many of the same aging-related issues as their heterosexual counterparts, they face different, often hidden and unmet challenges as well."
 This was the topic that brought together nearly 60 providers, professionals, and policy makers for the Equity Action-sponsored LGBTQ Elder Care Summit at The Rhode Island Foundation.
The first conference of its kind in Rhode Island, the Elder Care Summit featured keynote speaker Patricia Burbank, professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing. She noted that today's LGBTQ elders grew up in a time when homosexuality was a diagnosable mental illness (until 1974) and that most stayed "in the closet" for fear of discrimination. Today, they experience lack of rights for partners, isolation, and legal barriers during failing health and upon death. The daylong Summit also featured a panel discussion showcasing successful LGBTQ elder programs in New York City and Massachusetts, as well as breakout groups that made recommendations for initiatives to improve services and quality of life for this population. Read the LGBTQ Elder Care Summit Briefing, as well as other resources from the Summit. |
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 Trinity Cabaret collection to benefit Equity Action
Theatre patrons will have the opportunity to support Equity Action on Thursday, September 24 when Trinity Repertory Company hosts LGBT Night for its production of Cabaret. A pre-show reception will focus on Equity Action's work in the community, and a post-show collection will benefit Equity Action, Rhode Island's fund for sexual orientation and gender identity. Learn more about the event. |
