The award honors an organization for its significant
contributions to the health and well-being of LGBT communities in
Washington, DC and across the United States.
[NEW YORK, NY] Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), the
country’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to improving the
lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults,
today announced it has received the National Coalition for LGBT Health’s
annual award for Outstanding LGBT Advocacy or Service Organization. The
award acknowledges SAGE’s commitment to innovative services, successful
advocacy and policy campaigns and resource development to address the
issues important to LGBT older adults.
The award will be presented during the Coalition’s Annual Meeting on November 12, 2012 in Washington, DC.
“SAGE is honored to receive this award from the National Coalition
for LGBT Health,” said SAGE Executive Director Michael Adams. “LGBT
older people face significant health problems, exacerbated by a lifetime
of discrimination and higher economic insecurity, among other
factors—and SAGE’s services, advocacy and training have helped improve
the health and well-being of many LGBT elders nationwide. This award
brings much needed attention to the unique health and social challenges
facing LGBT elders.”
The numbers of LGBT elders are expected to double in size over the
next several decades, reaching more than 3 million by 2030. Despite
their growing numbers, LGBT older people face a number of health
disparities that are not often addressed by health care providers and
policymakers. In addition, many LGBT elders delay care out of fear of
discrimination from health providers, which means illnesses go
undetected until crisis hits. A recent federally-funded study of more
than 2,500 LGBT older adults nationwide found significant health
disparities in areas such as obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol,
arthritis, cataracts, asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and
more—disparities that are even more pronounced for LGBT elders of color
and transgender elders.
SAGE work’s includes federal advocacy aimed at improving the health
and well-being of LGBT older adults, such as working with members of
Congress to ensure that LGBT elders are included in the Older Americans
Act—the country’s leading vehicle for delivering services to older
people nationwide, providing more than $2 billion annually in nutrition
and social services. In addition, SAGE offers a number of health and
wellness programs and services through The SAGE Center, the country’s
first full-time LGBT senior center, and through its nationwide network
of 23 affiliates. SAGE’s National Resource Center on LGBT Aging also
features a wide array of multimedia health-related resources for aging
providers, LGBT organizations and LGBT older adults.
“SAGE stands out as a champion of transforming lives and our larger
community. We are pleased to be able to highlight the contributions SAGE
has made in the effort to include and discuss the issues important to
LGBT elders within the LGBT and larger progressive movement,” said
Hutson W. Inniss, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT
Health.
The National Coalition for LGBT Health is committed to improving the
health and well-being of LGBT individuals and communities through public
education, coalition building and advocacy that focus on research,
policy, education and training. The Coalition established the award for
Outstanding LGBT Advocacy and Service Organization to recognize
organizations that have made extensive contributions to the health and
well-being of LGBT communities in Washington, DC and across the United
States. The theme for this year’s Coalition meeting is “Moving toward
Health Equity-Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities.”
Learn more about the issues affecting LGBT older people online at sageusa.org/issues
SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the country's
largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in
1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization
that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older
adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that
address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging
providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on
LGBT Aging. With offices in New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago,
SAGE coordinates a growing network of 23 local SAGE affiliates in 16
states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at sageusa.org and lgbtagingcenter.org.
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