I Repeat: It's Time To Start Talking About Trans Senior Issues

I wrote the original post in October of last year in the hopes of jump starting some discussion and conversation on trans senior issues.

Our first and second wave trans peeps are either passing away, now heading into retirement age or some of us are starting to get or will soon be receiving our AARP cards.  

I recently saw a link on my FB page concerning a March 2010 WBEZ-FM story which featured and interviewed retired Chicago transwoman Gloria Allen. 

She was living in public housing for seniors and faced a bias attack from another tenant, but ain't staying silent about it.  Once and activist, always an activist.  

Time waits for no one.  You may wish to get busy helping Gloria and other trans seniors like her.  We need to be cognizant of the fact that as we fight for jobs, medical coverage and other human rights issues pertinent to transpeople in our nation and around the planet, we also need to doing some hard solid thinking about quality of life issues and human rights for trans seniors and how to safeguard our human rights when we hit retirement age.

Report States Eldercare Providers Ill Trained To Help TBLlG Seniors

TransGriot Note:  Photo is of another one of our distinguished trans pioneers Miss Major 


I wrote back in October it was past time for the trans community to start serious discussion on and come up with a plan now for dealing with the issues transgender senior citizens will face as we age.

Um, can y'all hear me now?

According to a report from the University of Minnesota and the PFund Foundation, an organization that specializes in gay rights issues, eldercare facilities are ill equipped and trained to help TBLG residents

Gee, why am I not surprised about hearing that?

According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, while agencies surveyed for the study say they treat clients in this population equally and are open to specialized training, funding for the training presents a challenge,

But as we know from painful experience already, it isn't enough for agencies to say they treat everyone fairly and equally.   We TBLG peeps know the policies have to be cast in concrete with clear penaltes for violating them up to and including termination.

The PFund Foundation suggests in the report that organizations supports GLBT seniors be created in addition to seeing more LGBT people sitting on the boards of social service organizations that serve seniors