How we Can Support our communities moving forward
The United States has been moving forward with a determination on many people’s parts to take us back to regressive and oppressive systems of being for many years. Although not unique to Donald Trump’s past and present administrations, we have been losing many social safety nets and laws that were put in place to protect and uplift the groups most marginalized by society. As a natural consequence, LGBTQIA+ older adults are going to be uniquely impacted and exposed to harm in the coming years. But despair cannot help us right now, and harm is not unavoidable. We have put together some resources and guidance to help protect LGBTQIA+ older adults and pre-empt the decisions and actions of this administration.
What you need to know:
potential changes TO hEALTHcARE
Eliminate gender-affirming health care and opposing abortion access to service members
end anti-discrimination rules based on gender identity and sexuality under the Affordable Care Act.
Push more people out of Medicare and into private options.
End anti-discrimination rules based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the Affordable Care Act. Ending Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices which would negatively impact elderly people, BIPOC and low-income individuals.
Ending medical abortion or making it extremely difficult to access. Removing terms including: sexual orientation | gender identity | diversity | equity | inclusion | gender | abortion | reproductive rights from federal rules, regulations, contracts, grants, and legislation.
Restricting the application of Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County, which extended workplace protections against sex discrimination to LGBTQ+ employees. Rescinding regulations prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics.
Defining “sex discrimination” only to the “biological binary” of male and female as assigned at birth. Scaling back or outright eliminating Federal DEI diversity programs and departments.
What you need to know:
Other potential changes
Ending birthright citizenship | The U.S. pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord that pledges countries cut greenhouse gas emissions | Guiding policies and directives to curb COVID-19, which affects how the U.S. responds to new pandemics | Ending refugee resettlement and parole for people from many nations, including Cuba Haiti, Venezuela, and Afghanistan | Mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants | Expanding the use of the death penalty | Expedite permits for drilling and for fracking all over the country | Cut federal funding for schools that protect and affirm trans and nonbinary kids and include anti-racist history and teachings |
WHAT YOU CAN DO
As we prepare to see the dissolution of many protections for our LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled and older adult communities, we have to remember that there are so many ways that we can, as individuals and groups, create new safety nets that are born from us reinforcing the social fabric that keeps us UNITED.
What you can do:
Community care and mutual aid
Make a plan for community safety that is broad enough to address everything from racist violence to encounters with the police . We have to remember that calling the police is rarely a safe option for BIPOC, especially Black community members, as well as disabled and houseless folks.
There are many workshops and trainings that can give collectives skills in verbal or physical de-escalation, personal safety, bystander intervention, and cop watch.
You can get together with your people and build harm-reduction kits for Narcan, testing strips, first aid, etc.
You can help create a Freedom School that focuses on LGBTQIA+ seniors to confront information censorship and voter suppression. abolitionschool.org
Be ready to document or support individuals targeted by ICE or new immigration policies.
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Join a mutual aid group or donate your time or $$$, like Food not Bombs and Little Free Pantries. A more comprehensive list:
Take advantage of and share these LGBTQ+ orgs in King County:
What you can do:
LEGAL & Medical PREPARATIONS
Some doctors may help establish action plans or agree to provide care more discreetly. For instance, some trans people might receive HRT via pellet and pick up a 90-day injection supply to store in advance.
Establishing a financial or medical power of attorney, which legally grants someone permission to act on someone else’s behalf — can ensure LGBTQ+ people that community members act as decision-makers rather than next-of-kin.
Create a living will, advance directives, and pet directives.
Washington LGBTQIA+ affirming law groups:
Legal & Medical Resources:
trans-specific legal resource
Find LGBTQ+ affirming providers
Legal directory for people with HIV
What you can do:
Personal education and actions
Get a library card! Libraries are some of the last standing free public spaces that house books, but also provide free resources and job trainings to the public. Simply getting a library card helps secure more funding for public libraries!
Seattle Public Library - spl.org
Make sure you are accessing less biased journalism by using this interactive media bias chart
What you can do:
National Resources
U.S. National Trans Lifeline
(877)565-8860
Ingersoll Gender Center
LGBT Aging Center
HERE AT THE GENPRIDE CENTER
Make sure you are signed up for our weekly newsletter which you can access on our website here: genprideseattle.org/newsletter/signup/
Attend one of our support groups:
Wellness & Aging Support Group | 1st & 3rd Wednesdays | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Senior Trans Support Group | 2st & 4th Wednesdays | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Senior Women’s Discussion Group | 1st & 3rd Thursdays |4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Grief & Loss Support Group | 2nd & 4th Tuesdays | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Create a new support group or a new program where you see it is needed!
Contact Charles Bontemps charles@genprideseattle.org
Seek resources and guidance for LGBTQIA+, older adults, and BIPOC
Contact Mariah Agyapong mariah@genprideseattle.org
Schedule one of our many LGBTQIA+ trainings or educational workshops
Contact Pamela Nassar Altabcharani pamela@genprideseattle.org
Visit our LGBTQIA+ library and borrow any number of titles and videos available
Open hours M | T | TH 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
