A national program benefitting and advocating for LGBTQ+ elders will host a special event in Center City.
SAGE & Friends will hold the inaugural event March 1 to bring together community members and supporters, while working to provide program updates, successes and other information. SAGE CEO Michael Adams and Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District and Under Secretary of the Army, also plan to attend.
SAGE, Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders, is a national program that works to address issues of aging related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and achieve a high quality of life for LGBTQ+ older adults.
The program also aims to support and advocate for human rights, foster a greater understanding of aging in all communities and promote positivity in LGBTQ+ life.
SAGE Philadelphia, established in 2009, is one of 29 affiliates around the country and is a senior program run out of the William Way LGBTQ+ Community Center.
“[SAGE Philadelphia] offer[s] opportunities we hope will interest an LGBTQ+ senior to stop in and participate in our programs. There are trips to museums, excellent speakers, discussion topics, movies, a self-led support group and more,” said Ed Miller, senior programs coordinator.
“Over the past five years, we have seen the number of seniors grow so much that we now use the Mark Segal Ballroom each week to accommodate the men’s senior social, Tuesday Mornings Out,” Miller added. “Beyond the programs and events, people find relationships, support and a sense of community they may not have known existed.”
The center’s long-standing partnership with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) continues to grow as programs and services are shared and expanded, according to Miller.
In recent years, AARP and William Way LGBTQ+ Community Center have partnered on information and education efforts, which continue as events are planned for this year.
Miller joins other affiliate leaders on a monthly call to receive important updates on national SAGE initiatives, legislative changes and opportunities for local seniors to participate in national projects.
“Each affiliate is quite different from the next, yet we share the same deep commitment to honoring LGBTQ+ seniors and respecting their unique needs. [With] the relentless efforts of Philly’s local LGBTQ+ leadership, along with our city and state government supports, SAGE Philadelphia at William Way is poised for the future,” Miller said.
The SAGE & Friends event will draw in members from all over the country. The Investors Circle is SAGE’s donor-recognition society and is comprised of a group of individuals, corporate partners and community leaders working to advance SAGE’s mission of improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults.
“Support of SAGE comes at a crucial time in the LGBTQ+ movement where after years of steady progress, we are now at risk of losing ground in building the inclusive and diverse community we deserve. This is why it’s more important than ever to bring people together and reaffirm our commitment to our LGBTQ+ pioneers,” said Joey Wasserman, of SAGE National.
The event will be held 6-8 p.m. March 1 at the Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
