An Honor to Serve Those Who Served Us
On this Veteran’s Day, SAGE would like to say “thank you” to all of our LGBTQ+ vets who served and are still serving in the military. In case you missed it, SAGEVets was recently launched to serve LGBTQ+ veterans over the age of 50 who reside in New York State. In partnership with Veterans Justice/LGBTQ+ Projects of Legal Services NYC, this program helps SAGE constituents who are military service veterans improve their access to VA benefits and their overallhealth and wellness. In addition to general assistance, SAGEVets will provide guidance to veterans hurt by decades of discriminatory military’ discharge policies.
Latina Vega, who became the SAGEVets Program Coordinator this summer, is a U.S. Air Force veteranwho served during the Gulf War. “When I worked in the veterans’ health clinic, I saw that navigating military and state benefits posed a challenge for older veterans. That’s even worse for LGBTQ+ elders. Despite the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, our community still has stigma and history to overcome—most obviously by correcting past discharge statuses. It’s an honor to serve those who have served us,” said Vega.
Are you an LGBTQ+ veteran living in New York State, or do you know one who may need assistance? Call SAGEVets: 212-741-2247 x138. Don’t forget, we have a number of resources on our site, as well as our sister-site, the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, for our LGBTQ+ veterans.
