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"Do Tell"
The LGBT Aging Project's Monthly Newsletter |
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Greetings!
Greetings from the LGBT Aging Project.
We hope that the approaching holiday season brings a newfound sense of hope and wonder into your life. There is much to share in this edition of "Do Tell." The LGBT Aging Project completed the series of Town Meeting for LGBT Seniors & Caregivers, and we are happy to share some of the findings with you in this newsletter.
Holidays can be a challenging time for those who are coping with loss, so we have decided to start two additional LGBT Bereavement Support Groups in January. Details can be found below or on our website.
One of the ways to navigate the ups and downs of this season is to be in the company of friends - old and new. Café Emmanuel and Out To Brunch, the LGBT Meal Sites sponsored by Ethos, have a wonderful line up of holiday events and concerts. Please consider joining 'our family' for some of these festive gatherings, but don't forget to RSVP!
Happy Holidays!
Bob Linscott
Assistant Director
LGBT Aging Project
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| Findings from the Town Meetings for LGBT Seniors
Last month two "town meetings" for LGBT seniors were held to hear from LGBT seniors directly about their needs and preferences, their concerns and hopes.
These town meetings were co-sponsored by The LGBT Aging Project, Ethos, and 5 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in anticipation of writing local Area Plans on Aging for 2010-2013. The AAA's were: Boston's Elderly Commission, HESSCO, Minuteman Elder Services, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, and Springwell. Meeting facilitators from each of the agencies are pictured above.
Some of the main points from the final report includes the following findings:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seniors have many of the same concerns and face many of the same struggles as other older adults.
- LGBT seniors are also challenged by access to information, transportation, concerns about rising costs, confusion about services etc.
Increased outreach for LGBT Seniors is necessary.
- Outreach needs to be conducted in a way that provides an affirmative and welcoming message. Suggestion: hiring staff and/or recruiting volunteers to act as LGBT advocates.
LGBT seniors also need assistance understanding how certain health insurance and public benefits apply to them.
- In particular, Mass Health (Medicaid) and the SHINE program should consider providing additional training to its staff and volunteers on the specific issues faced by LGBT seniors
LGBT Seniors clearly expressed an interest in knowing whether or not a particular agency's staff has been trained to be "LGBT welcoming".
- That information needs to be clearly communicated throughout the LGBT Community.
This community also expressed the importance of having programs specifically designed for the LGBT senior population.
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2 New LGBT Bereavement Groups Forming: Cambridge and Northampton
To help LGBT Seniors and Caregivers who are coping with the loss of a loved one, Ethos and The LGBT Aging Project have decided to launch two new groups in January. Loss of a loved one can often feel more intense, especially around the holiday season, which is why the two new groups have been added.
The Northampton group is currently scheduled to run on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30pm starting on January 27.th The Cambridge group is currently scheduled to run on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30pm starting on January 29th.
>> For more information, or to register for the group, please contact our group facilitator, Beth Prullage, LICSW at (413) 695-2236.
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The LGBT Aging Project and friends participate in National Prop 8 Rally
On Saturday November 15 people from every state in the Nation participated in a grass roots rally to protest the passage of Prop 8 in California. This is the legislation to overturn the court's decision around equality and ban gay marriage in California. Boston's Senior Pride Coalition was well represented at the rally with members from The LGBT Aging Project, Stonewall Communities, Boston Prime Timers, OLE and NEAHOF. WBZ estimate the crowd at Boston City Hall to be between 4,000 and 5,000.
>> More Photos from the Prop 8 Rally |
Cafe Emmanuel and "Out To Brunch" Holiday Events Calendar
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
If you would like to attend any event at either the café or Out to Brunch, you MUST RSVP in advance if you want to have a meal. We turn in an exact count the week prior. If people show up without making a reservation then we will not have enough food for everybody.
To RSVP: You simply need to reply to this email. Include your full name and the name(s) of any guests you are bringing. Make sure to include the date/event you wish to attend. You can also phone in your reservation:
Café Emmanuel: Bob Linscott: (617) 477-6610
Out to Brunch: Gloria Tower: (617) 477-6682
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Holiday Events Calendar
Thursday Dec 4th:
Café Emanuel Concert: Brass Quintet from Boston Conservatory Saturday Dec 6:
Out to Brunch's Holiday Party.
Join the ladies who lunch for a festive buffet holiday meal and social. To celebrate the holidays in style, Gloria has planned a "LGBT Yankee Swap." If you would like to participate in this please bring something form home (regifting is the key) wrapped. Live music by the beautiful sounds of JP Jazztete (these women were so excited to play at this event!). RSVP required.
Thursday December 11th
Café Emmanuel Holiday Concert
NOTE: Special Time
10:30 am (coffee, juice, pastries will be served). Concert will begin at 10:45 sharp. Lunch will follow the concert. The New England Conservatory Men's Chorus Presents: A Seasonal Celebration.
Please join us for a mid-morning choral celebration of winter and the approaching Holiday season. The program, composed of sacred and secular music from the 15th century to the present, will be performed by the NEC Men's Chorus. At the conclusion of the concert, the audience will be invited to join the chorus for the singing of some traditional carols. RSVP Required We will be joined by the students from Marblehead High School's Gay Straight Alliance for this event. These students are participating in the "Day Without A Gay" demonstration by volunteering at Café Emmanuel. Thursday December 18
Holiday Dinner for LGBT Seniors and Friends Join us for another festive Holiday Party with appetizers, a Prime Rib meal. Following the meal we will have a special Holiday Sing-a-long! We will also have our annual "Book Swap" so bring a favorite book that you read and you can exchange it just in time for winter reading! Just bring one book this year. RSVP required.
Tuesday December 23
Note: Special Date!
Since we will be closed for Thursday Dec 25th, we decided to add a new date this week.
You will finally get to meet the Program Director from Kit Clark who creates our menu each week. We will be sampling a couple new baked scallop dishes at Tuesday's lunch! RSVP required.
General Information:
OUT TO BRUNCH! Monthly brunch and social for older LBT women.
First Saturday of each month from 11am to 1:00pm.
555 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain
Reservations required.
For reservations contact Gloria Tower at (617) 477-6682.
CAFE EMMANUEL: Weekly luncheon & entertainment for LGBT Seniors.
Thursdays from 11am to 1:00pm
15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA (Emmanuel Church)
Reservations required (one week in advance).
For reservations contact Bob Linscott at (617) 477-6610. |
LGBT Caregiver Receives Award and Citation from the Mayor
In an effort to make their programs and events more inclusive of LGBT Seniors, the LGBT Task Force at Somerville Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) decided to create a special LGBT Award for their annual Awards Ceremony, Serving Seniors held each November. The group wanted an opportunity to bring visibility and recognition to an outstanding achievement by an LGBT Senior. The first award went to Melvin Simms for the commitments and sacrifices he made caring for Walter Norden, his partner of 39 years. Joseph Curtatone, the Mayor of Somerville also gave Melvin a special citation. The Mayor's citation read in part "For the outstanding care and compassion that Melvin showed his partner." He also received a citation from the Massachusetts State Senate, signed by Senate President, Theresa Murray.
The LGBT Task Force at Somerville Cambridge Elder Services was created during the LGBT Aging Project's Training and Consultation program.
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| News Items of Interest |
Village People: Gay interest in retirement concept that favors 'aging in place'
by Will O'Bryan, Metro Weekly A so-called "village" retirement community that would allow LGBT and other seniors to remain in their homes and receive services there is in the planning stages for Washington, D.C. The Dupont Circle Village recently held an information session on the concept, which is being tried out in cities including Boston and San Francisco >> Read more
Speaking Out for a Group Once Unheard-Of: Aging With AIDS
By KAREN BARROW, New York Times
In the early 1990s, a diagnosis of AIDS was both a likely death sentence and a stigma. There were few treatment options, and many Americans were terrified of people infected with H.I.V. Today, because of antiretroviral therapy and an array of drugs to treat both symptoms and side effects, AIDS has become a chronic condition to be managed, at least in the developed world. No longer is the face of AIDS emaciated and covered with lesions; Americans with the disease are stronger and healthier, their concerns fading from public view. >> Read More
Senior organizations prepare to serve aging LGBT population in Brookline
By Neal Simpson / Staff writer, Brookline TAB
Brookline - As a gay man, Roy Brown has had little experience with the homophobic remarks and discrimination he knows other gay men endure.
In the three decades since he came out to his wife, the 71-year-old Brookline resident has been unquestioningly accepted by his family and welcomed into Boston's gay community. The one thing he fears is growing old and being sent to a nursing home. >> Read more
Giving Thanks by Giving Back
By Aviva Gat, Bay Windows
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| Community Announcements |
 Senior Pride Coalition Night at BGMC's Holiday Concert
Sunday December 14 2pm Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory
Once again the Senior Pride Coalition will be going out in force to the annual Holiday Concert by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. (Make sure to look for Bob Linscott in the Hallelujah Chorus!)
: There are only a few tickets left for the SPC section. The remaining tickets will be available at Café Emmanuel ($20) on 12/4. There are some tickets still available for the 14th at the regular concert prices - you will need to order these tickets through the BGMC or Jordan Hall. There are also tickets for the other performances: Dec 19, 20, 21 at 8pm.
Stonewall Community / Lifelong Learning Institute Events:
Coping with the Market Meltdown
Friday December 12, 2008: 12:30-2:30 PM
This is an interactive, informal conversation with financial planner Stuart Armstrong, Professor of Social Work Gary Bailey, tax preparer Marjorie Posner, and Karma Kitaj, a Life Coach.
Limited to 25 participants. Cost $10
Wheelock College Brookline Campus
43 Hawes Street, Brookline, MA |
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About The LGBT Aging Project |
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The mission of the LGBT Aging Project is to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders have equal access to the life-prolonging benefits, protections, services, and institutions that their heterosexual neighbors take for granted.
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