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One of the images from the exhibit "Who We Love: Older Lesbians and Gay Men on Life, Aging and Love." Currently on exhibit at Tufts until March 31. See Community Annoucements below for more information. |
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"Do Tell"
The LGBT Aging Project's Monthly Newsletter |
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Dear
Sometimes it is helpful to take a step back and look at the changing world around us. I've had to do that this month because it is hard to believe that so many positive things are happening. Issues around LGBT Aging are getting national attention. Just look at the sampling in our news section below - there are stories from CNN and the Associated Press and as we reported last month the Obama Administration is funding a National Resource Center to support LGBT elders. The changes can be seen at the local level as well with so many elder service organizations right here in Massachusetts reaching out to the LGBT seniors and caregivers in their communities. It is truly a wonderful time to be working in this field.
In this month's Do Tell you will find important information on:
- All the work that local elder service agencies in Massachusetts are doing for LGBT seniors.
- An opportunity for short term volunteer positions with The LGBT Aging Project during Pride Week.
- The much anticipated date for the International Premiere of the film "Gen Silent."
- News, Community Announcements and information on the LGBT Senior Meal Program And Our Ongoing Support Groups.
Best,
Bob Linscott
Assistant Director, LGBT Aging Project
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A Message From The Director |
HIV and Aging
Did you know that:
- More people are growing older with HIV/AIDS and that the epidemic continues to grow?
- 52% of all cases of HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts are in people over the age of 45?
- 20% of new infections nationwide are in people over the age of 50?
In February the LGBT Aging Project and New England Association on HIV over Fifty (NEAHOF) convened the first of what we hope will be an ongoing dialogue between two historically separate entities: the mainstream Aging Services provider network and the HIV/AIDs provider network. Nearly all of the twenty people who were invited were able to attend this first meeting to begin a discussion about our respective fields and how we can plan to collaborate going forward. Topics ranged from direct services to provider/consumer education and to broader policy issues impacting older adults with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers.
I frequently describe the LGBT Aging Project as a "bridge builder" between the LGBT and mainstream elder care communities, and this newsletter will highlight some of the successes that have come from the bridges we have helped to build. The HIV and Aging meeting felt like a drafting meeting for a different bridge. Having talked about holding such a meeting for a very long while, we were greatly pleased to have so many people around the table recognizing the need for a bridge and thinking about how we might build one collaboratively.
Lisa Krinsky, LICSW
Director, LGBT Aging Project
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Outreach Update |
There are exciting things happening all around the state for LGBT Seniors. We would like to take a moment and share a few with you. Once an elder service agency completes The Open Door Task Force, our cultural competency training program, that agency begins to reach out to the LGBT seniors and caregivers in their area. Here's what some of the agencies are currently working on:
Somerville Cambridge Elder Services: SCES partnered with The Cambridge Council on Aging to begin the work to launch a new meal site for LGBT seniors in their area. They had a very successful kick-off and planning dinner on February 22 which was attended by 25 seniors. SCES is currently gathering data to find the best day, time and location for the new site. If you live in the Somerville Cambridge area and would like to include your thoughts, please fill out this online survey. If you would like to be included on the mailing list for this new meal site please contact rheisler@eldercare.org.
South Shore Elder Services: SSES launched their first monthly brunch for LGBT Seniors on the South Shore on February 27th in Braintree. Their gathering was equally successful with 26 seniors in attendance. The agency has also developed a partnership with several local churches in the South Shore who are eager to reach out to LGBT seniors. The next LGBT Senior Brunch is on Saturday March 27th at 10am at the Unitarian Church (196 Elm Street) in Braintree. RSVP to Maryanne by calling (781) 848-3939 x325 or email lgbtseniors@sselder.org.
North Shore Elder Services: Following the huge success of the "Old and Bold" holiday party last December, the folks at North Shore Elder Services have formulated an Old and Bold Coalition made up of local community members and businesses committed to issues of LGBT Aging on the North Shore. The coalition is already planning the next social gala scheduled for this summer at a historic landmark in Gloucester, MA. If you would like to know more about The Old and Bold Coalition please contact Rhonda Gauthier, Director of Communication and Development, North Shore Elder Services at rgauthier@nselder.org.
Ethos: In addition to their two community meal programs for LGBT seniors, Cafe Emmanuel and Out To Brunch, Ethos continues to work to develop new programs that will make it easier for LGBT seniors to age in the own communities. They are just starting a joint project with the Boston Elderly Commission to provide senior companions for lgbt elders. For more information on this new program contact Rachel Burlingame at rburlingame@ethocare.org.
Worcester Area: We are so proud to announce that The Worcester LGBT Elder Network (WLEN) was funded for a second year through a grant from the GLBT Partnership Fund of The Greater Worcester Community Foundation. Congratulations! WLEN continues to host regular meetings and social events including their Brunch-a-month which brings together LGBT seniors, friends, caregivers and allies each month for a lunch or brunch at a local restaurant. WLEN is also working very hard on launching a LGBT Aging Conference to bring information to the aging services community. If you live in the Worcester area and would like to be on the mailing list for WLEN events and newsletters, please contact Kathy McGrath at kmcgrath@eswa.org.
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LGBT Aging Project is looking for volunteers for 2010 Pride Committee |
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Make this year's Pride Celebration a memorable one!
Are you interested in a SHORT TERM Volunteer Project with a HUGE IMPACT?
Consider joining our team. The LGBT Aging Project's Pride Committee organizes several events during Pride Week that are for LGBT elders and their friends. Your support goes a long way to help us make these events possible for the generation that fought so hard for the rights we enjoy today. Lend a hand. You will be glad you did!
We have a variety of positions to match your availability and interest. Some of the positions include: Pride Planning Committee (Planning starts in April) Pride Tea Dance Volunteers (Event is Sunday June 6th) Pride Luncheon Volunteers at Cafe Emmanuel (Event is Thursday June 10) and Volunteers for the Pride Parade and Senior Pride Tent (Event is Saturday June 12) Call Bob for more information (617) 477-1292.
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| GEN SILENT Date for International Premiere Announced: Saturday May 8th! |
| Mark your calendars now!
 The date for the much anticipated International Premiere of Gen Silent has been set for Saturday May 8th at 5pm at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The film will be part of Boston's Annual LGBTQ Film Festival . In the weeks ahead we will be sending out information about our plans for our reception for the film's premiere. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile we are happy to report that during director Stu Maddux's last visit to Boston we held three very successful preview events for Gen Silent. One at the New England Foundation for the Arts, another at Stonewall Communities and a third at Harvard Business School.
Read the wonderful review in Edge Boston from the Gen Silent Preview: "Gen Silent: Stu Maddux and the Greatest Gay Generation"
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Message from Director, Stu Maddux:
GEN SILENT needs your help at this critical time.
"Each year hundreds of worthwhile independent documentaries are made. Completing the film is only part of what's required to be successful. The other part is the marketing and distribution - which can cost even more than the cost to make the film. Your contribution is needed to help get the word out about GEN SILENT."
Thank you,
Stu
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From Guerrillas to MBAs (and a lot of Hollywood in between) |
February was a pretty unique month at The LGBT Aging Project, in fact one week in particular became a marathon week of events, appearances and trainings. Director Stu Maddux arrived in town on Tuesday Feb 16th and on Wednesday he held his first Gen Silent preview at Stonewall Communities. That night we all attended Boston Spirit's Annual LGBT Professional Networking Event. On Thursday Lisa drove to the Cape and back to conduct an Open Door Task Force Training at the Elder Services of Cape Cod and Islands, that evening we held our big Gen Silent Preview Gala at New England Foundation for the Arts. On Friday The LGBT Aging Project was the beneficiary for Guerrilla Queer Bar Charity. Guerrilla Queer Bar is a social visibility movement occurring in Boston and many other large cities. We raised $1,000 in donations which went directly to the Aging Project. Thankfully volunteers from Ethos and Somerville Cambridge Elder Services came to keep Bob and Lisa awake.
 The following Saturday morning, bright an early at 8:30am, Bob and Lisa traveled to Boston University School of Management to spend the entire day working with a team of MBA Students. The LGBT Aging Project was accepted into BU's Link Day program that matches a group of MBA students with a local non profit to do problem solving in a particular area for the organization. Our team helped us with our current website needs. We rested on Sunday! On Monday we helped our friends at The Somerville Cambridge Elder Services and the Cambridge Council on Aging host their first community event to launch an LGBT Senior meal site in Cambridge. Later that evening we raced across town to Harvard for another preview event for Gen Silent. This event was hosted by the LGBT Student Association at The Harvard Business School. All these fast paced events certainly will help prepare us for all the Oscar night parties we will need to attend next year when Gen Silent wins an Oscar!!! 
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In The News |
Gay Seniors Come Out Late, Start Second Lifetime
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
MIAMI - On his 75th birthday, Bill Farthing decided to be reborn. In the six years since he'd buried his wife of 45 years, he'd felt as he did long before: Lonesome, different, outcast. He wondered if he was going crazy; he contemplated suicide.
Looking back, the clues leading to this day had been scattered throughout his life, but only made sense just now.
Aging Issues can be Tougher on Gays
By TOM WATKINS, CNN
CNN -- Last Christmas, Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Dennis Engelhard was putting flares near a minor accident on a snowy road in Eureka when he was hit by a car and killed. "I'd had a premonition about it," said Kelly Glossip, 43, Engelhard's domestic partner of 15 years...
The Changing Landscape for LGBT Elders in Massachusetts
By BOB LINSCOTT, Bay Windows
BOSTON, MA - Massachusetts is aging with dignity and pride. Today, there are pockets all across the state where it is safe for our LGBT elders to come out and receive the necessary services and supports to age in place in their own homes and communities. This is not the case in many other states and it wasn't even possible in the Commonwealth ten years ago, but the landscape for LGBT aging in this state is rapidly changing...
Get counted! Why the Census is crucial to gays
By Diane Silver, 365gay.com
When gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans receive their census forms this month, they will have an historic opportunity to smash stereotypes - even though the form ignores a large portion of the LGBT population. "Without data, you have no needs, no identity, no funding" So say activists and demographers who also have this advice for LGBT people: Grit your teeth, fill out the census form and return it on time.
A South End Health-Care Pioneer: Anna Bissonnette teaches much more than how to inoculate
By Vicky Waltz, BU Today
The sun is setting as Anna Bissonnette and four first-year BU School of Medicine students don white lab coats and step outside. Armed with dozens of syringes and bottles of influenza vaccine, they cross the Medical Campus quadrangle and make their way up Albany Street to Bay Cove Human Services, a nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, and addiction disorders.
(Ed Note: Anna is a member of The LGBT Aging Project's Steering Committee!)
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Community Announcements |
| LGBT Seniors Needed for Local Study:
The LGBT Aging Project is working with Fenway Institute to conduct a local needs assessment on LGBT elders. Please consider helping us out by volunteering to participate.
Details for the Study:
Are you older and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person? Fenway Health is conducting a new study to find out more about the health and social needs of older LGBT people.You may be eligible to participate if you:
ˇAre age 60 years or older;
ˇLive in the Boston metropolitan area;
ˇHave had a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex OR
ˇYou identify as homosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
Participation is confidential and involves one study visit in Boston lasting about 1.5 hours. It consists of a confidential face-to-face interview and brief demographic survey with friendly staff. To find out more: 617-927-6348 or avanwagenen@fenwayhealth.org(Ed Note: Project staff will be available at Cafe Emmanuel this Thursday 3/25 to answer any questions and schedule appointments with interested seniors)
Who We Love: Older Lesbians and Gay Men on Life, Aging and Love
Presented by Greta Cottington with Dr. Jennifer Burtner, Tufts University
March 1 - March 31, 2010
Slater Concourse Gallery, Tufts University Aidekman Arts Center
40 Talbot Ave., Medford, MA 02155
For hours, parking and directions call 617-627-3518 or visit
http://ase.tufts.edu/gallery/shows/slater.html
(Note: plans are underway to bring this exhibit to Cafe Emmanuel in April - stay tuned!)
This gallery exhibition is part of an Undergraduate Senior Honors Thesis in Anthropology about the life histories and love relationships of elder gays and lesbians in the Boston area. The exhibition celebrates nine dynamic individuals who were interviewed for the thesis with excerpts from their interviews, photography done by Tufts student photographers, and a collection of personal mementos related to their stories.
>> For more information: Contact Greta Cottington at 612-616-6891 or greta.cottington@gmail.com
AIDS Action forms new peer support group for seniors
Funded by a Tufts Health Plan Foundation/Healthy Aging Initiative grant, AIDS Action's peer support team has launched a new group for people aged 60 and older: Positive Aging, Lasting Strength (PALS). Targeting seniors infected with, affected by and at risk for HIV/AIDS, PALS will hold weekly exercise classes, wellness groups, nutritional consults, support groups, and monthly health forums, as well as one-on-one peer support. Click here for meeting dates and information. AIDS Action formed PALS in response to the changing HIV/AIDS epidemic and the growing needs of older people living with HIV/AIDS. |
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Information on the LGBT Community Meal Program |
Out to Brunch
First Saturday of every month 11am to 1:30pm
Roslindale House, 120 Poplar Street Roslindale, MA
RSVP to outtobrunch@gmail.com or call (617) 522-6700 x306.
Cafe Emmanuel
Every Thursday 11am to 1:30pm
Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street Boston, MA
RSVP to blinscott@lgbtagingproject.org or call Bob at (617) 477-6610
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 Cafe Emmanuel and Out to Brunch are lunch and social programs for LGBT Seniors and their friends. Both cafes are part of the nutrition program at Ethos, a non-profit elder service agency in Jamaica Plain. The cafes serve a nutritious meal and offer social and educational events to anyone aged 60 and over. Cafe Emmanuel and Out to Brunch are co-sponsored by the LGBT Aging Project. Suggested donation for meals is $1.75. |
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On Going Support Groups |
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LGBT Caregiver Support Group:
Open to anyone providing care for a loved one. First Monday of every month, 6:00pm to 7:30pm in Jamaica Plain. Free. Contact Joanne Peskowitz, LICSW for more information: (617) 271-4182.
LGBT Bereavement Groups:
For LGBT people of all ages coping with the loss of a loved one. Free six-week support group. To find a group in your area contact Bob Linscott (617) 522-1292. |
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Support The Important Work Of The LGBT Aging Project |
Our mission 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.
You can support our mission by making a tax deductible donation or bequest.
Help us ensure equal access and respect for ALL LGBT elders and caregivers.
>>Click here to make an online donation on our secure web site.
If someone sent you this email, click here to be added to our mailing list for future monthly newsletters from the LGBT Aging Project. | |
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