Out In The Mountains : News - Vermonters Attend Boston Elders Town Meeting

by Robert Wolff

      Boston – Three Vermonters, Peggy Luhrs, Jackie Weinstock and I (Robert Wolff), attended the LGBT Aging Project's Town Meeting for Elders and Boomers, on June 6, 2005. Speakers included U.S. Representative Barney Frank; Amber Hollibaugh of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force; Arline Isaacson of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus; David Aronstein of Stonewall Communities; and Lisa Krinsky of the Aging Project. The event, moderated by Dale Mitchell, Executive Director of ETHOS, a Jamaica Plain community service entity specializing in longterm care options, was a Boston Gay Pride event and an official "mini" White House Conference on Aging.
Barney Frank spoke to the roughly 50 participants, reminding them about how far the lgbt cause has come since the 1960s. He also underlined the difficulties of making real progress during a time when the Republicans control the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government, stressing the importance of working toward long-term goals. The other speakers focused on the work they have been doing to serve lgbt elders and their organizations' plans for future development of services.
      The Vermonters sought information for use as we move forward with the Vermont Queer Elder Project at R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center. Luhrs is a longtime Burlington activist and an Americorps Vista Volunteer at the center; Weinstock is an Associate Professor of Integrated Professional Studies at the University of Vermont and member of the SafeSpace board of directors; and I am a theatrical designer, a potter and a member of the R.U.1.2?QCC board of directors. We three are developing a program, which will, among other things, present workshops for health care professionals.
      The leaders of the Vermont Queer Elder Project (VQEP) are aware that many lgbtq people entering hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other institutions providing health care, are treated with less than proper respect and certainly without what could be termed "Queer Awareness." Elders may fear entering these facilities because their partners might not be allowed to participate in their care and support as they would if they were a heterosexual couple, for example.
      The participants from Vermont were particularly interested in the activities and future plans of the LGBT Aging Project and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. NGLTF is developing programs that will allow community leaders to learn from programs in other locales through an enhanced communication network. We also received pointers on specific steps that would assist the development of the Vermont Queer Elder Project and some of the challenges that could retard its growth if not well handled. Lisa Krinsky of the Aging Project strongly suggested focusing our energies on mainstream health service providers and on teaching cultural competency among service leaders and staff.