SAGE commends D.C. on taking action to better serve LGBTQ+ elders and those living with HIV
[New York, NY] – Yesterday, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced first-of-its-kind legislation to better protect and support LGBTQ+ elders and older people living with HIV in the District of Columbia.The bill, modeled after similar efforts in Massachusetts and California, adds LGBTQ+ elders and older people with HIV to the list of those older people in the District who are considered to have greatest social need under the Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA is the nation’s primary law directing the provision of services and supports (like Meals on Wheels) to older people in the United States. Making this small but important update to how the law is implemented in D.C., ensures that LGBTQ+ elders and people living with HIV have equal access to crucial government aging services and programming.
The legislation would also establish a cultural competency training requirement and a bill of rights for LGBTQ+ elders and people living with HIV in long-term care. If passed, it would make D.C. the first jurisdiction in the nation to provide these supports and protections to both LGBTQ+ older people and older people living with HIV.
“SAGE congratulates Councilmember Mary Cheh on her visionary leadership on behalf of LGBTQ+ older people and older people living with HIV in the District,” said SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “LGBTQ+ older people as well as older people with HIV— including many Washingtonians — face numerous barriers to successful aging and access to aging services and supports. By designating LGBTQ+ older people and older people living with HIV greatest social needs populations, Councilmember Cheh’s legislation would ensure that they get the services and supports they need under Older Americans Act-funded programs like Meals on Wheels and meals at senior centers.”
Adams continued, “Councilmember Cheh’s legislation would also ensure that LGBTQ+ older people and older people with HIV are protected from discrimination in long-term care, and that the people who serve them are culturally competent. These much-needed updates to the District’s aging laws would ensure that LGBTQ+ older people, older people living with HIV, and all Washingtonians know that District law has their back and that they can get culturally competent, non-discriminatory access to the critical services and supports they need as they get older.”
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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.
