OLDER QUEER & TRANS FOLKS: Challenges, Community Connections & Self-Advocacy

1. OLDER QUEER & TRANS FOLKS: Challenges, Community Connections & Self-Advocacy Rupert Raj, M.A., Counseling Psychology LGBTT Counsellor (Psychotherapist) Sherbourne Health Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2. Agenda • Introductions & Overview • Challenges of being an LGBTT Senior • Community Connections • Self-Advocacy Strategies • Small Group Exercises • LGBTT & Senior Resources

3. Challenges • Physical Health • Mental Health • Substance Use • Sexual Health • Sexuality/Relationships • Homophobia/Transphobia • Elder Abuse/Neglect • Proper Nutrition

4. Challenges (cont’d) • Institutionalization • Loss & Grief • Family & Social Isolation • Homelessness/Affordable Housing • Poverty/Financial Hardship • Legal Issues & Rights (incl. involuntary commitment, competency hearings, living wills, burial wishes, etc.) • Spiritual Needs • Others

5. Community Connections • Partner & Family Members • Friends & Acquaintances • LGBTT Community • Ethnic Community • Faith Community • Senior Community • Activist Communities

6. Community Connections (cont’d) • Intentional Communities • Co-Ops & Neighbourhoods • Support Groups • Internet Listservs & Chatrooms • Educational Environment • Volunteer Work • Paid Work

7. Self-Advocacy Strategies • Know the government, legal, advocacy, health care, community, social and religious services available to you as an LGBTT senior. • Understand your legal rights as a queer and/ or trans person and as a senior citizen. • Maintain an effective support system (family, friends, physician, therapist, lawyer, faith leader, community connections, support groups, etc.).

8. Self-Advocacy Strategies (cont’d) • Access one or more key allies who can help advocate for you when you need it (incl. people of your mother tongue, country of origin, ethnoracial, cultural or faith community, and/or the LGBTT community). • Self-advocacy means both advocating for oneself, as well as calling upon others (allies) to help advocate for us as necessary. (We don’t have to do it all by ourselves!)

9. LGBTT & Senior Resources COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICES • Programmes for Older GLBT People (519) • 519 Community Centre • Central Neighbourhood House Home Support Services • Community Care East York • Mid-Toronto Community Services • West Toronto Support Sevices HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES • Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health • Sherbourne Health Centre (incl. Outside the Lines group) • Family Service Association of Toronto (incl. David Kelley Services) • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (incl. Rainbow Services) • St. Michael’s Hospital (incl. Health Centre at 410) • Queen West Community Health Centre • Hassle-Free Clinic

10. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) AIDS/HIV & CANCER-RELATED SERVICES • AIDS Committee of Toronto • Casey House Hospice • Toronto People with AIDS Foundation • Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto • Women and Men Living with HIV and Cancer (ACT & Gilda’s Club) BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES • Bereaved Families of Ontario – Toronto • Lesbians and Gay Men Bereavement Support Group (MCCT & Wellspring) HOMES FOR THE AGED • Fudger House • Kipling Acres • Rekai Centre • True Davidson Acres • Wellesley Central Place

11. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) LEGAL SERVICES • LGBT Legal Clinic (519) • Community Legal Education Ontario (incl. Community Legal Clinics & Legal Aid Offices) • Legal Aid Ontario (incl. Community Legal Clinics) GOVERNMENT OFFICES • Ontario Office for Disabled Issues • Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat • Toronto Seniors’ Forum (City of Toronto) ADVOCACY/EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • Senior Pride Network (519) • Egale Canada (incl. Trans Issues Committee) • Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition • Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario • Rainbow Health Network (incl. Trans Health Lobby Group)

12. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) FAITH COMMUNITIES Christian • Bathurst United Church • Bloor Street United Church • Centre for Conscious Living • Christos Metropolitan Community Church • Church of the Redeemer • East Minister United Church • Emmanuel Howard Park United Church • Glen Rhodes United Church

13. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) Christian(cont’d) • Kimbourne Park United Church • Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto • Metropolitan United Church • Q-Age • RUAH – A Community of Faith • Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church • Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Toronto • UU Queer Living in Spirit Group

14. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) Jewish • Danforth Jewish Circle • Darchei Noam • Kulanu Toronto Moslem • Salaam Buddhist-Based Meditation • Dharma Friends • Toronto Shambhala Rainbow Meditation Group

15. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) LGBTT SUPPORT & SOCIAL GROUPS • Body Electric School • Euchre Night for Lesbians • Fifty Plus Toronto • Gay Men Over 40 Project • Gay Women’s Support Group in York Region • Gushin’ Grannies! • Lawn Bowling

16. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) LGBTT SUPPORT & SOCIAL GROUPS • MacIntosh Sisters • OLIVE (Older Lesbians in Valued Environments) • Prime Timers Toronto • S.A.G.A. • Social Lites (MCCT) • Women for Recreation, Information and Business

17. LGBTT & Senior Resources (cont’d) TRANS-SPECIFIC SUPPORT Seniors (international - online) • ElderTG • Transgender Aging Network Local (in person) • Meal Trans Programmes (519) • Transition Support (519)

18. Contact Information Sherbourne Health Centre 333 Sherbourne Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5A 2S5 Tel: (416) 324-4180; fax: (416) 324-4181 www.sherbourne.on.ca Rupert Raj: (416) 324-4174; rraj@sherbourne.on.ca