EDGE Denver

Gay culture is embraced by the mainstream much more than it was in the past. For LGBT elders, finding their place in it -- especially in a state like Colorado, where self-sufficiency is king -- can be difficult.

Colorado leaders and senior groups teleconferenced last week about the LGBT Elder Americans Act, which would help people facing barriers caused by non-economic factors, like inability to access resources, or fear of discrimination.

The Center on Halsted hosted the SAGENet conference, to discuss the issues and support programs for an estimated 40,000 LGBT seniors in the Chicago area.

As America’s LGBT population continues to mature, groups like South Florida’s SunsServe have begun to meet the need for the LGBT senior day care centers, where elder gays can get what they need without having to hide who they are.

More than 200 seniors joined New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other elected and public health officials in Manhattan on Thursday to officially open the country’s first LGBT senior center.

Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is slated to open a new senior center early next year after having won a contract with the city of New York.

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, commissioner of New York City’s Department for the Aging, was among those who testified at the New York City Council’s Committee on Aging’s hearing on services and care for LGBT elders on Monday, Jan. 24.

Officials at the Center on Halsted unveiled the nation’s first LGBT homesharing program, matching up LGBT seniors with younger renters who can help with chores and other support services in exchange for reduced rent.

Activists from across the country participated in SAGE’s national conference and expo for LGBT elders in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 11-13.

Doctor Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spoke to LGBT seniors at the Center on Halsted in Chicago on Tuesday, Aug. 31.