SAGE Blog

Unleash the Power of Age

May is Older Americans Month, a proud tradition that shows our commitment to honoring the value that elders contribute to our communities. The official site encourages all of us to show our support for Older Americans Month by unleashing the power of age in our community. For the month of May, we will feature a story every Wednesday honoring the power LGBT elders possess.

Today’s post focuses on Joanne Borden, a WWII veteran, grandmother and transgender elder
who fiercely advocates for her community. Most recently, she is working alongside the Empire State Pride Agenda to raise awareness about the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and bringing it over the finish line this legislative session.

Watch her powerful story here: 

StoryCorps: A Transgender Woman’s Journey from Hiding to “Walking in Love”

Alexis Martinez (left) and her daughter Lesley

Alexis Martinez grew up in a rough neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side in the early 1960s. She knew she was transgender from an early age.

Alexis (whose birth name is Arthur) struggled with her identity, as did her family. At 13, she came out as transgender to her mother. Alexis’ mother called the police, who laughed and told her, “You've got a fag for a son, and there's nothing we can do about it.”

As a result, Alexis joined a gang and “went as macho as [she] could be, to mask what [she] really was underneath.” 

Alexis has a daughter, who accepts her for who she is. Says her daughter Lesley: "You don't have to apologize. You don't have to tiptoe. We're not going to cut you off. And that is something that I've always wanted you to, you know, just know—that you're loved."

Equality & Justice Day: Sending a Clear Message to Congress to Pass GENDA

Today's post is by Alli Auldridge, SAGE Policy Associate.

 

E&J Day 2012

This morning I boarded a bus at 6:30 am, along with SAGE constituents and fellow staff. We are traveling three hours from New York City to the capitol building in Albany for Equality & Justice Day (simply known as E&J Day). This annual lobbying event is organized by the Empire State Pride Agenda for LGBT New Yorkers—a time for rallies and workshops, networking with statewide advocates and meetings with legislators. SAGE advocates have attended E&J Day every year—indeed 2013 will mark constituent Rodney Adams' 12th year of participation!

 

This year, LGBT advocates of all ages are hoping to send a loud and clear message to elected officials: pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). GENDA would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression and offer uniform protections for transgender New Yorkers across the state. Recent GENDA campaigns by Housing Works, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the Empire State Pride Agenda and others have highlighted the personal stories of discrimination and bias experienced by transgender New Yorkers and increased the call for the passage of GENDA in 2013. All of us at SAGE are eager to join with other LGBT advocates and make our voices heard at E&J Day.

Stay tuned to SAGE's Facebook and Twitter pages for updates from Albany throughout the day!

Diverse Elders Coalition Blog Re-launches!

The Diverse Elders Coalition is made up of five national organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for this country’s diverse aging communities.

Together, we represent a growing majority of millions of older people throughout the country—racially and ethnically diverse older adults; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults; and poor and low-income older adults. We have come together to promote policy changes and programmatic solutions that respond to this demographic shift and will remove the barriers facing our communities. We envision a world where all older adults can live full and active lives as they age.

Read about the re-launch here.

Helena Bushong: "I am a 60-Year-Old Trans Female Living with HIV" (Women's History Month Feature)

 

Helena Bushong

March is Women’s History Month and in honor, the SAGE Blog will feature relevant LGBT aging stories every Friday. The first post of the series is a guest blog post by Helena Bushong, a 60-year-old trans woman who lives with HIV. This post originally appeared on the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging’s website.

 

My name is Helena and I am a 60-year-old transgender female living with HIV. I am not a victim. An HIV/AIDS diagnosis is NOT a death sentence, but is similar to living with breast cancer or diabetes, which through some lifestyle changes, are manageable diseases.

I was diagnosed with HIV and AIDS in 2002, and was told I would not live more than six months, and at best, a year. Along with my doctors, I believe that I was a "late tester," meaning because I was diagnosed with AIDS—a late stage infection—and not HIV, I likely contracted HIV 15 to 20 years before showing any sign or symptoms. Because people can carry HIV/AIDS asymptomatically, it is important to be tested on a regular basis to avoid a late test and spreading the disease.