Stay in the Loop
LGBT News for November 2018
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Links and videos of interest to the mature LGBT adult are just a click away.
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Marilyn E. Lloyd is afraid of what would happen if an unexpected health problem — a heart attack or broken hip from a fall, for example — forced her into a rehabilitation or assisted-living center. Would she, a 63-year-old transgender woman, be accepted at a long-term care center? Would she have to hide who she is and go back into the closet “to get the care I deserve to get?” she asked. Lloyd, of the Far West Side, calls these worries “one of those things,” meaning one of the many distinct challenges that older LGBTQ adults face on top of the normal issues associated with aging. And her concerns are not uncommon. (Kevin Stankiewicz, Columbus Dispatch, 10/14/18)
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Rainbow Supper & Lunch Clubs
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Reminder due to Election Day there is no Supper in November.
The Rainbow Lunch Club meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at noon
.
This month lunch is served on
November 14th and 28th; entertainment on both dates!
(see flyer below)
Join us on
December 4th
at 6:00pm when Dale LaPage will perform. (see flyer below)
Both the Rainbow Lunch and Supper Clubs are held at the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden Street, Worcester, MA.
Entertainment returns!
See flyer posted below
The suggested meal donation for people 60+ is $2.50. Guests under 60 pay $5.50.
Reservations: If you wish to attend the Rainbow Lunch or Supper Club or cancel your reservation, please call or email WLEN one week before at (508) 756-1545 ext. 404 —
wlen@eswa.org. If no one is available please leave a message including your name and phone number and date you plan to attend. You may also make your reservation through our on-line Meet Up group
here.
Entertainment/program supported in part by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency
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Affordability Housing Crisis
“We wanted to understand the LGBTQ senior housing and service needs in the [Seattle WA area], especially given how the cost of housing is increasing,” Karen Fredrisken Goldsen, a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, said. … The report, led by Fredrisken Goldsen, found that Seattle “is falling behind other major metropolitan areas in addressing LGBTQ housing and senior needs.” Meanwhile, cities like San Francisco, California, have invested millions of dollars to address the needs of LGBTQ older adults. A report commissioned by the city’s Office of Housing found that there are several key challenges facing seniors in Seattle’s LGBTQ community, including inadequate services, lack of stable affordable housing, and high rates of discrimination and bias in housing. (Jake Goldstein-Street, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, 10/3/18)
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LGBT Homeownership Rates Lag
MCLEAN, Va — New research Freddie Mac released [Oct. 1] finds that members of the LGBT community are less likely to own a home, are more mobile, fear discrimination when buying property, and prioritize living in LGBT-safe neighborhoods. Specifically, the survey of LGBT community members living in the United States suggests that 49 percent of LGBT households are likely to own a home — considerably lower than the current national rate (64.3 percent). (boston.com, 10/1/18)
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AUGUSTA, Ga. - The local LGBT community reports twice the number of poor mental health days as the general population of Richmond and Columbia Counties, and those who identified as transgender report twice that, according to a health needs assessment conducted by faculty and students at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Area LGBT individuals reported an average of 7.8 poor mental health days, defined as any day they struggled with mental health issues like stress, depression, anxiety and other emotional problems. Those who identified as transgender reported even more days - individuals born female who currently identify as male reported 15.4 days and individuals born male who currently identify as female reported 12.4 days. (EurekAlert!, 9/24/18)
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Those of us in the LGBTQ community who have been fortunate to arrive at our senior years are in a unique position. Being old and queer has never been so appealing, and for so many reasons. Younger ones who come behind us won’t quite experience this matchless state of affairs. Every generation feels that the fleeting moment of their own existence is singular in its nature, but this truly is distinctive. Everything that defines modern queer culture was achieved in the time frame of our own lives. When we were born, the culture did not exist. Trans folk along with bisexuals, lesbians and gay men were persecuted, labeled as mentally unsound, preyed upon and murdered with impunity. (Gary Bellomy, Dallas Voice, 9/21/18)
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‘Renaissance Woman’ at 75
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Stefanie Clark describes her regular stints volunteering at the Art Institute of Chicago as a way she can give back to the community that kept her moving forward during a tumultuous time in her life. “This is one of my things I look forward to the most,” said Clark, 75, her gray hair swept into a small bun as she greets people at the doors of the museum. Indeed, the former financier, whose business card and email signature bear her self-ascribed moniker “Renaissance Woman,” wears many hats. After receiving a 2015 inheritance from her stepfather, Clark set out to immerse herself within her community and to help lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. (Lauren Robinson, Medill Reports Chicago, 8/18/18)
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LGBT Bereavement Program
Thursday Evenings 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm November 1 to January 3
Location: Marlborough, MA
Registration: Call Bob Linscott 857.313.6578
Co-sponsored by BayPath and MetroWest Hospice
November 3:
Worcester County’s LGBTQ+ History Project
LGBTQ Discovery Day
Saturday November 3, 2018
3 - 5 PM at the MB Lounge
November 6:
Election Day
[There will be no supper on Tuesday, November 6, because of Election Day. The UUCW Church is a polling place.]
November 11:
Veterans Day
Thanks to our LGBT veterans for their service.
Is it time to expand the definition of ‘veteran?’ I have long thought, though, about whom our country includes in its socially-constructed category of “veteran.” Currently, that classification remains limited to those honorably serving in our armed forces. And yes, this service and this profession has traditionally been determined by our society as honorable and noble work. Why, though, have we circumscribed the parameters of “veteran”? Why have we so limited its definition? (Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld, LGBTQ Nation, 9/29/18)
November 20
: Trans* Day of Remembrance
Transgender Americans are facing an epidemic of violence. Twenty-seven trans people, mostly women of color, were murdered in the U.S. in 2017, tying it with 2016 as the deadliest year on record. Of course, the number of victims in any given year is likely much higher, given that some are misgendered by police or media, and some homicides not reported at all. As of mid-October 2018, 22 homicides of trans Americans have been reported. (Trudy Ring, advocate.com)
November 22:
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rainbow Readers
A monthly book club dedicated to reading all things Queer and LGBTQA
at Annie's Book Stop
65 James Street, Worcester MA
508-796-5613
LGBTQI Meetup for Central Mass
The purpose of this Meetup group is to help create a vibrant LGBTQI+ community throughout Central Massachusetts. Check this page out for LBGTQI+ friendly events in our area!
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WLEN– Worcester LGBT Elder Network, is a joint effort of Elder Services of Worcester Area Inc.,
Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Worcester Senior Center.
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