Older Americans Month LGBTQ elders “loud and proud but deeply angry” at Trump treatment

Washington, DC, May 10, 2017 — The National LGBTQ Task Force is celebrating May, Older Americans Month. “Age Out Loud” is the 2017 theme with the federal government’s stated goal “to give aging a new voice.” But many older LGBTQ people are not happy about the way they have been treated by the Trump Administration.

“As this country pays tribute to its older people during Older Americans Month, I must loudly protest the Trump Administration decision to erase approximately 3 million older Americans in important federal surveys,” said Barbara Satin, an 82-year-old transgender activist and Assistant Faith Work Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force. “The Trump Administration this past March surreptitiously acted to erase LGBTQ people from the survey that helps to determine how our tax dollars, budgeted under the Older Americans Act and the Centers for Independent Living, are allocated. They also decided not to count us in the U.S. Census. The stunning effect of all of this is that our lives, skills and talents will be ignored and our needs won’t be properly addressed,” Satin stated.

The National LGBTQ Task Force has been advocating for nearly 30 years to make sure LGBTQ people are added to the Census and other federal surveys because:

+ Federal surveys determine how federal dollars get spent.  LGBTQ people face disparities in income, housing stability, health outcomes, and policing, among many other areas.  If LGBTQ people don’t get counted, the federal government can easily keep ignoring their most critical needs.

+ Federal surveys help improve understanding of the needs of the LGBTQ community.  Knowing how many people need housing, health, workplace, and criminal justice interventions in a community helps to better serve that community.

+ Federal population data is used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives and is often cited as a reason to support or not support a piece of legislation.

+ LGBTQ people count.  Their lives matter, their needs matter.

“The best way to celebrate this month is to ensure that all older people are recognized and have all their unique needs met,” urged Satin, who served on President Obama’s Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Advisory Council.

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CONTACT:

Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org