Comments on: Our invisible moms, dads and grandparents http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/12/our-invisible-moms-dads-and-grandparents/ the gay community's news source Tue, 21 May 2013 10:50:52 +0000 hourly 1 By: Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/12/our-invisible-moms-dads-and-grandparents/#comment-23775 Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW Wed, 18 May 2011 19:27:43 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=23317#comment-23775 As former Co-Chair and current Leadership Council member of the American Society on Aging’s LGBT Aging Issues Network (ASA-LAIN), I want to applaud The Blade for making the commitment to cover this important issue. Without data about LGBT older adults, these individuals remain invisible to policy makers, funders, and the nation as a whole. Until the District of Columbia makes an investment in collecting data on the needs of LGBT older adults, the unintended message is unfortunate yet abundantly clear: D.C. doesn’t need to count LGBT older adults because LGBT older adults don’t count. As both an out lesbian and a proud resident of the District of Columbia, I firmly believe that this isn’t the image D.C. wants to project to the LGBT community locally or nationally. I also firmly believe D.C. is well-positioned to be an innovator in this area, if it so chooses. LGBT older adults in the District of Columbia DO count….it’s time for D.C. to invest in a comprehensive assessment of their needs.

Respectfully,

Kimberly D. Acquaviva, PhD, MSW

]]> By: Lynda Martin-McCormick http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/12/our-invisible-moms-dads-and-grandparents/#comment-23756 Lynda Martin-McCormick Wed, 18 May 2011 16:14:55 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=23317#comment-23756 It’s great to know that the DC affiliate of SAGE is up and running. Congratulations on such a cogently-written article. Readers also might want to know about the study (see: http://www.lgbtlongtermcare.org)
done by the National Senior Citizens Law Center in conjunction with SAGE national, the National Gay and Lesbians Task Force, National Center for Transgender Equality, Lambda Legal and National Center on Lesbian Rights. The study highlights the experiences of LGBT elders in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, including some in DC. Please take a look at the study,consider using it to improve care in DC, add your comments to the site. http://www.lgbtlongtermcare.org.

Lynda Martin-McCormick
National Senior Citizens Law Center
DC resident, 34 years

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