SAGE celebrates 40 Fierce Years
[New York, NY] SAGE has been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ issues, fighting—and winning—on behalf of older LGBTQ+ people across the country since its inception 40 years ago.SAGE began in 1978 following the Stonewall uprising and the emerging LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. This June, during National LGBTQ+ Pride month, SAGE is celebrating 40 Fierce Years with the launch of a new website, a commemorative anniversary edition of SAGEMatters magazine, a match campaign supported by the Edie Windsor Challenge Fund, and several special events.
“We are forever indebted to our pioneers—our elders—for paving the way to so many historic LGBTQ+ victories,” said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “As we commemorate SAGE’s 40 years, we celebrate our important wins—and keep our eye toward the future. In the face of renewed ignorance, bigotry, and bankrupt leadership in Washington, D.C., we must continue our work with dogged determination until all LGBTQ+ elders are treated with dignity and respect.”
To ensure that more LGBTQ+ elders can access what they need to age well, SAGE’s new website offers lifesaving tools for LGBTQ+ elders and those who care for them, including an interactive U.S. map of housing resources and comprehensive information for LGBTQ+ caregivers. The revamped site, launched today, showcases SAGE’s vibrant, intergenerational LGBTQ+ community of elders and allies. It offers many ways for users to get involved, make a difference, and join a movement of activists dedicated to providing advocacy, services, and support to older members of the LGBTQ+ community. Highlighting SAGE’s four decades of progress, the site features a timeline of the past 40 years, quotes from its founders and participants, and information on SAGENet, our national affiliate program.
The 40th anniversary edition of SAGEMatters magazine is dedicated to SAGE’s founders, constituents, and past and future leaders. This special issue features an interview with SAGE founders Doug Kimmel and Chris Almvig, as well as interviews with LGBTQ+ activists of all ages who sound off on LGBTQ+ history, culture, and the road ahead. “SAGE is bringing our 40 years of experience to the political discussions of this new era in the struggle for the rights and dignity of all persons. I’m very excited for the future,” says Kimmel.
To pay tribute to the past and shore up SAGE’s next 40 years of progress, SAGE will launch a matching campaign in July, made possible by the Edie Windsor Challenge Fund. Edie, known nationally for taking down the Defense of Marriage Act, worked tirelessly for her beloved LGBTQ+ community and was a staunch supporter of SAGE, having served two terms on its Board of Directors. Her surviving spouse, Judith Kasen-Windsor, continues Edie’s commitment and leadership by establishing the fund, which is also supported by a generous contribution from an anonymous donor.
Among the many events scheduled in celebration of its anniversary, SAGE will commemorate 40 fierce years at its annual gala on October 15, 2018, honoring George Takei with the Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement award. Also, on November 8, 2018, SAGE will hold its annual national intergenerational SAGE Table, gathering thousands of LGBTQ+ people and their allies to share meals and discuss challenges, opportunities, and the future.
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SAGE is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers. SAGE also advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBTQ+ elders, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, and cultural competency training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates SAGENet, a growing network of affiliates in the United States. Learn more at sageusa.org.
