SAGE Blog

HIV/AIDS is Still an Issue for Older Gay Black Men

 

Ty Martin & SAGE Constituent Sherman Walker

In honor of Black History Month, the SAGE Blog will feature a post on LGBT aging in the black community every Thursday during the month of February. February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, so our first post in the series is on HIV/AIDS in the black community by Ty Martin, Community Liaison at SAGE Harlem.

 

I am black.

    I am gay. 

        I am an older adult.

            I am resilient. And so is my community.

Love & Loss: Moving On from Hurricane Sandy; One Older Gay Man's Story

The following is a guest post by Damien Wade, Case Manager at The SAGE Center  

SAGE Case Manager Damien Wade Visiting with James McCormick Who Lost His Partner David in Hurricane Sandy

David B. Maxwell, 66, and James McCormick, 72, were together for 5 years and had recently moved into their own home in the Midland Beach neighborhood of Staten Island, known for its beautiful waterfront views and serenity. They had cats. They had each other. And by all accounts they had planned to spend their lives devoted to one another.

When I started working with James, I learned that he had suffered a stroke in mid-2012 that left him with limited mobility and confined to a wheelchair.  He had to move out of the home he shared with David and into the Carmel Richmond Nursing Home.

I never met David, but I imagine him to have been a nurturing and caring man. He was described by his neighbor as a “lovely sweet gentleman,” and a devoted partner whose whole life was James.  After James’ stroke, David would visit him all the time at the nursing home. David’s was the first face James saw in the morning and the last he saw at night.

Hot Tips for Mature Workers. Looking for a New Job or Career?

 

Julie Fotos

Julie Fotos is a leading career and leadership coach based in the New York City area. With more than 20 years working in advertising, Julie is an expert in the areas of leadership development, managing transitions, personal branding, performance improvement and team development. For the past few years, she has volunteered with SAGEWorks to help mature LGBT workers 40+ reach their maximum potential and remain productive, vital and contributing members of the nation’s work force.

 

As a lesbian in her 50s, Julie wanted to support and contribute to her community. After meeting SAGEWorks manager Michele D’Amato through fellow coach and friend, Graham Coppin, she found the perfect fit. In this blog post, Julie describes the biggest issues faced today by mature workers and how anyone looking for a job or career change can succeed in their search.