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Join us at the Rainbow Supper Club in September
We hope to see you
Wednesday
September 6th at 4pm
The Rainbow Supper Club meets the first
Wednesday of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden Street, Worcester, MA. Lunch is served at noon, followed by programs or social time.
September 6th Supper reservations
are due by
Friday September 1st
at 9am!
Reservations
If you wish to attend the Rainbow Lunch please call or email WLEN by 9am the Friday prior: 508-756-1545 ext. 404 or wlen@eswa.org. If no one is available please leave a message including your name and phone number and date you plan to attend.
Is there a cost to participate? We suggest a $2.50 donation from guests age 60 and older. The fee for all guests under age 60 is $5.50. Donations and fees help to defray the agency’s cost.
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The Rainbow Lunch Club is gathering in person!
Wednesdays
September 13th & 27th at noon
The Rainbow Lunch Club meets the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden Street, Worcester, MA. Lunch is served at noon, followed by programs or social time.
Reservations
If you wish to attend the Rainbow Lunch please call or email WLEN by 9am the Friday prior: 508-756-1545 ext. 404 or wlen@eswa.org. If no one is available please leave a message including your name and phone number and date you plan to attend.
Is there a cost to participate? We suggest a $2.50 donation from guests age 60 and older. The fee for all guests under age 60 is $5.50. Donations and fees help to defray the agency’s cost.
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LGBTQ youth want role models. Queer elders have a lot of advice. |
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When I think back to coming of age as a queer man, I most remember the lack of “possibility models.” I had no idea what my life could look like.
I had never seen — in real life or media — positive reflections of what it meant to grow old as a member of the LGBT+ community. Growing up in the shadow of a generation of gay men who were lost to the AIDS epidemic, I longed for something that said: You can grow old. Life will be okay.
The challenge of generational isolation is common in today’s queer youth. Young queer people without positive role models are at much higher risk for “psychological distress” in their adolescence and depression in adulthood.
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Sexual, Gender Minority Cancer Survivors Have High Prevalence of Smoking, Binge Drinking |
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More than one million LGBTQ+ individuals are estimated to be living with cancer, but research on the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) cancer survivors is limited, and often conflicting. Case-control studies of SGM cancer survivors compared to SGM individuals who have not had cancer are rare.
Now, a new study led by a School of Public Health researcher fills this knowledge gap with findings that show disproportionate rates of alcohol use, smoking, depression, and other adverse health behaviors and conditions among SGM cancer survivors, compared to non-cancer SGM people.
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Worcester Pride Festival & Events |
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This year’s Pride Worcester Festival will be even bigger and better than last year’s!
Saturday, September 9, 2023
2:00 PM 7:00 PM
Downtown Worcester 50 Franklin Street Worcester, MA
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Majority of LGBTQ adults feel safety threatened by gender-affirming care bans: poll |
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State laws that ban gender-affirming health care are making LGBTQ adults feel less safe, according to new polling from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national LGBTQ rights group.
In a survey of more than 14,000 LGBTQ people in the U.S. older than 18, nearly 80 percent —including 94 percent of transgender and nonbinary respondents — said statewide bans on gender-affirming health care make them feel less safe as an LGBTQ person.
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Older Adults Who Identify As Sexual and Gender Minorities Experience Disproportionate Age-Related Decline |
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Researchers Develop Tool to Measure, Compare the Burden of Frailty in First-of-Its-Kind Study
BOSTON – In June, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the average age of the U.S. population reached a new high of nearly 39 years old. Today, roughly three million older adults who belong to a sexual and gender minority (individuals who self-describe as LGBTQ+ or as having discordant gender and sex assigned at birth) live in the U.S., a number that is projected to grow to more than five million by 2030. Prior studies have demonstrated that this demographic is at disproportionate risk of chronic conditions, mental health issues, cognitive decline and health risk behaviors compared to the general population. However, there’s little data available to characterize the way this population is aging.
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What to Know About ‘Eris,’ the Latest COVID Variant
With a summer surge, experts stress the importance of treatments and vaccines
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After many months of declining numbers, the U.S. is experiencing a late-summer COVID-19 surge. Cases and hospitalizations are once again increasing, and so is the presence of what’s being called Eris (officially EG.5), a new version of the coronavirus that recently eclipsed the former top runner, Arcturus (XBB.1.16).
The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows EG.5 accounts for 20.6 percent of COVID infections, while a strain known as FL.1.5.1 is responsible for 13.3 percent of cases. An alphabet soup of other omicron variant spinoffs make up the rest of current infections.
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A Virtual Community of LGBTQ+ Older Adults
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OutstandingLife's mission is to improve the quality of life of LGBTQ+ older adults by creating opportunities for connectedness through free online programming. We currently serve hundreds of LGBTQ+ seniors through our virtual senior center.
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Talk and be heard at the SAGE LGBTQ+ Elder Hotline. We connect LGBTQ+ older people who want to talk with friendly responders who are ready to listen. If you are an LGBTQ+ elder or care for one, call the free SAGE Hotline, toll-free, at 877-360-LGBT(5428).
Hotline responders:
- Are certified in crisis response
- Offer support without judgment
- Answer questions factually and confidentially
- Provide information about community support resources such as healthcare, transportation, counseling, legal services, and emotional support programs
The SAGE LGBTQ+ Elder Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and Spanish, with translation in 180 languages.
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This group will meet in person on July 12, 2023 from 6:00pm-7:30pm
at Mt. Wachusett Community College
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Our friends the Rainbow Elders in the Amherst area invite you to visit them
virtually or in person Thursday afternoons on Zoom at 1:00pm
Save the date, RES Summer Picnic is Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (Rain date 7/12)
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and their online and in-person gatherings!
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RISE is a research study being conducted by Emory University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. RISE stands for Research Inclusion Supports Equity.
The RISE study includes a research registry created to help ensure the LGBTQIA+ community is represented in Alzheimer’s research.
The registry is for LGBTQIA+ people 18 and older who:
- Have memory concerns or a memory loss diagnosis such as Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia
- Are helping care for someone with memory loss or a memory loss diagnosis
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ESWA-WLEN LGBT+ Resource Guide is now available for download! |
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Please reach out to us if you would like a hard copy of the guide at WLEN@eswa.org or call 508-756-1545 ext. 404
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Updated 2023 Schedule of Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Lunch, Supper, and Social Clubs for Older Adults! |
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Calendar brought to you by The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project at The Fenway Institute.
The LGBTQIA+ Aging Project at The Fenway Instituteprovides support and technical assistance to elder service organizations who are interested in developing community programs for older LGBTQ+ adults in their area. To learn more about starting virtual or in person programs in your area please contact us at (857) 313-6578. We also provide technical support for LGBTQ+older adults who need help joining these programs or are interested in starting one in their town.
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Our Friends at Springwell (formerly BayPath) have excellent LGBTQ+ resources for you |
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If you are in need of resources or socialization during this challenging time, please reach out to our WLEN Peer Workers, Joan and Dot. They are available to chat and break up your day, or assist you in getting the resources you need to stay home and stay safe during the COVID crisis.
To reach us, just email WLEN@eswa.org, or call 508-756-1545; we check our messages regularly, someone will reach out to you soon.
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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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