LGBT Update

January 2016

In This Issue

Important Notice about Inclement Weather:

If the Rainbow Lunch Club is cancelled because of inclement weather (snow, icy conditions, etc.) the cancellation will be announced as "Elder Services of Worcester Meals on Wheels and Dining Centers are closed" on WRCN 830AM, WTAG 580AM, WSRS 96.1 and WXLO 104.5 radio stations. You may also call the Nutrition Office at (508) 852-3205 after 8:00 a.m. for cancellation information.

WLEN- Worcester LGBT Elder Network, is a joint effort of Elder Services of Worcester Area Inc.,Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Worcester Senior Center, with ongoing collaboration with the LGBT Aging Project in Boston.

Rainbow Lunch

Club Bus Service

Did you know that you can reach the Rainbow Lunch Club via public transport?

The outbound WRTA Route 8 bus from Union Station to the Greendale Mall stops on Shore Drive across from the Unitarian Universalist Church parking lot. The inbound trip from Greendale Mall to Union Station stops at the bottom of the parking lot.

A bus leaves the Union Station Hub at 11:30 a.m., from City Hall at 11:33, and arrives across from the church at Shore Drive and Holden Street at 11:50 a.m. Buses from Greendale Mall to Union Station leave the UUWC parking lot at 1:03 p.m. or 2:03 p.m. They arrive at City Hall at 1:18 and 2:18 and at Union Station at 1:21 and 2:21.

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Elder Services and its programs receive funds administered through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs; and federal financial support under the Older Americans Act provided by the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging. Other funders include the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, local Councils on Aging & governments, participant donations, grants and individual support. We also contract with Senior Care Organizations, One Care Organizations and The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

www.800ageinfo.com

1-800-AGE-INFO

Why We Are Not Done

Progress in winning civil rights for LGBT people has been steady, culminating in 2015 with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage the law of the land. Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell is gone, and gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people can serve openly in the Armed Forces. Acceptance of transgender service members is close to becoming a reality. The successes have been happening one on top of another, leaving many with feeling that there's virtually nothing left to accomplish.

That couldn't farther the truth. Here are a dozen issues the LGBT community needs to advocate for in 2016. The list is by no means exhaustive.

Gay men account for the vast majority of new infections from HIV in the U.S. Hard-won successes in prevention have been eroding, especially among men under the age of 30 who have sex with men. AIDS may seem like a treatable chronic disease, but it a difficult and expensive regimen. Far too many people who have tested positive for HIV are not in treatment. Many, many more are positive and don't know their status. We need to push hard on prevention efforts and find new and creative ways to get the message out.
Transgender women are being murdered or committing suicide at an alarming rate. Transgender rights and protections are in their infancy and need to be pushed at all levels of government. It is time to end trans invisibility.
Bullying and violence against LGBT people of any age need to be eradicated. Homelessness among LGBT children and adolescents needs special attention. Suicide prevention should be one of our strongest efforts for all age groups, including the elderly.
There are still no national protections for LGBT people in the areas of employment, housing, credit, and access to public services. LGBT people can be fired, evicted, and denied public access to basic services just for being who they are.
It is illegal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in 76 countries. Eight of them have capital punishment laws on the books, and Mauritania, Sudan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen continue to execute LGBT people. Brunei is scheduled to activate the death penalty in 2016, and Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) routinely commits brutal executions of gay people.
LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, especially those escaping terrorism, war and intolerant regimes, need special help from the LGBT community. LGBT people need to combat the raging xenophobia that has emerged since recent terrorist incidents at home and abroad. This irrational distrust of people from other countries affects legal and undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.
Racism within and between members of the LGBT community is rampant. This is an area where we are shamefully at fault. It should be unthinkable for a minority group to discriminate against members of its own community.
Ageism is as much a part of LGBT life as it is for the general population. Older people are often overlooked in dating because of society's fixation on youth. More important is the difficulty some LGBT elders have in getting services because of lower earning power in their younger years. Smaller savings and Social Security benefits can mean a lower standard of living in old age. A lifetime of poorer access to health care often results in less satisfactory outcomes for LGBT older adults.
Marriage may be legal for everyone everywhere in the United States, but there are forces working tirelessly to roll back hard-won rights. Some of the effort is couched in terms of First Amendment Freedom of Religion rights. We need to be vigilant and to work just as tirelessly to protect everyone's right to marry.
A disproportionate number of LGBT people remain in poverty. Hunger and food insecurity are their constant companions. Access to health care is spotty. For all these reasons, poor health outcomes are far too common.
Bisexuality continues to be the least understood of the orientations under the LGBT umbrella. Bisexual people as a group number more than gay men and lesbians combined. It is time for the silent 'B' in LGBT to come out in its own right.
Pursuit of LGBT rights is the pursuit of human rights for everyone everywhere. We are only as free as the least free among us. It is time to de-isolate our community in the search for happiness. Everyone has a right to be the person they know and want themselves to be, and we as a community can show the way for marginalized people at home and abroad.

On January 13th our presenter will be Susanna E. Meyer Ph.D. She works at Worcester State University in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Her presentation will be on the services that Worcester State University Speech, Language and Hearing Department provides.

January 27th will be the regular social get-together.

We ask people age 60 and over for a donation of $2.50. The charge for younger guests is $5.50.

Lunch is always served at noon. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester is located at the corner of Holden Street and Shore Drive in Worcester, next to Bancroft School. Access to the parking lot is off of Shore Drive. See the sidebar for information about WRTA bus service.

Reservations are required a week in advance, so we can be sure to have enough food for everyone who shows up. You may call Joan Anderson at (508) 756-1545 ext. 404 or email her at wlen@eswa.org. You may also join the Rainbow Lunch Club Meet-Up Group and reserve from the meet-up page.

MENUS:

January 13th: Chili, Brown Rice, Broccoli and a Cookie for dessert. January 27th: American Chop Suey, Broccoli & Red Peppers, and Baked Apples for dessert.

2016 Dates:

February 10th, February 24th
March 9th, March 23rd
April 13th, April 27th

Calendar of Events

A Matter of Balance (January7th) will not be commencing due to not having enough participants to hold the workshop.