Medpedia

Dear LGBT Health advocates,

July 2011 came and went in a hurry! It's hard to believe that the fall is upon us already!

I wanted you all to know that the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) invites you and your colleagues to attend the 29th Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, September 21-25, 2011. The GLMA Annual Conference is the ideal place for clinicians, researchers, public health professionals, and policymakers working in the area of LGBT health, to share information about their work and to engage other leaders in the field to advance LGBT health equality.

Further information on the conference and the joint symposium with the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) and Southern Comfort is online at the GLMA website at http://www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=559. Early bird registration ends August 15th!

This Month's blog posting is by my colleague Sharon Hennessy on the often overlooked topic of LGBT Elder health. Please enjoy.

Henry Ng, MD FAAP FACP

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Elder LGBT Health – By Sharon Hennessy, MSW, Licensed Social Worker Associate Certificate

The elder LGBT community faces obstacles in accessing LGBT safe and supportive affordable healthcare, long term care facilities, caregivers, and social activities. People of color, particularly immigrants who are undocumented and/or who speak English as a second language, as well as people disabilities face additional hurdles. We have made some great strides in LGBT advocacy with the arrival of gay marriage in some states, the over haul of DADT, and the inclusion of more LGBT studies in academic studies, and trained providers in some healthcare centers. Yet, we still have some great steps to make amongst ourselves in embracing our LGBT elders who have so much insight and wisdom to share with us about the history of the LGBT community in the U.S. and their countries of origin. We are challenged by lookism and ageism in this community and have some steps to go into changing this mindset in order for us to live healthier, longer, and more fulfilling lives.

However, some healthcare providers have specific trainings on how to work effectively with the LGBT community which increase the chances of LGBT folks actively seeking medical preventative care, substance abuse treatment, and counseling services. In addition, LGBT activists are also empowering themselves through organizing their own social and political activism groups and conferences. For example, at the most recent, “Puget Sound Old Lesbians of Organizing for Change” conference at the Pacific Northwest Regional Gathering on July 28-31, 2011, in sunny Tacoma (yes, it really was sunny!), these diverse women had the opportunity to network together and share stories, resources, and strategies for growing older in an emotionally, spiritually, and physically healthier way.

This very successful conference got off to a great start by a speech by renowned lesbian historian and writer, Lillian Faderman. Topics that were raised amongst the group included coming out later in life due to societal conditioning, homophobia and sexism experiences, and also included singing and other entertainment by performer, Lucie Blue Tremblay. It also included participation, such as dancing, as well as workshops, and discussions.

Current and future healthcare concerns included homophobia in longterm care and hospital settings (including visitation rights for family members), laws e.g. Washington’s Everything But Marriage law, affordable healthcare (including Medicare and Social Security, especially with the recession), wheelchair accessibility in facilities, and the benefit of purchasing long term care insurance prior to age sixty was also addressed. In addition, the benefit of local LGBT and general community groups, spirituality, exercise, pets, and family (family of origin and/or biological) were also discussed. An important feature of the conference included the opportunity for the women to have their photos taken as a souvenir. The Puget Sound OLOC website is http://www.psoloc.org/ - check out their website for details of their conference next year. Also, we are blessed to have another conference, BOLDFest which is for Bold, Older(er) Lesbians and Dykes in Vancouver, B.C. from 9/7/11-9/11/11. Their website is http://www.boldfest.com/full-programme-for-2011.php.

I encourage you to empower your own community by considering to attend one of these conferences, start an LGB T elders conference of your own in your own city, ensure that LGBT healthcare issues are addressed by your healthcare provider in an informative and supportive manner by advocating for this service, contact your congressman to urge them not to cut Medicare and Social Security, offer to spend time with an lgbt elder through companionship or chores, and/or celebrate who you are, no matter what your age.