I added a link under Resources for The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
From The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging: http://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resource.cfm?r=512
Harper Jean Tobin, Policy Counsel, National Center for Transgender Equality
May 2012
Organizations serving LGBT older adults regularly ask the National Resource Center, or my organization, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), how they can better serve transgender people. They may not see trans older adults taking advantage of their services and programs, or they may feel staff or volunteers are unprepared to adequately serve this segment of the community. They may even have encountered prejudice against trans older adults among other LGBT community members. These are common challenges for LGBT organizations of all kinds. The following advice is adapted from Opening the Door to the Inclusion of Transgender People: The Nine Keys to Making Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organizations Fully Transgender Inclusive a publication of NCTE and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. These principles can help guide organizations toward full inclusion of transgender older adults.
The Basics
- Work toward inclusion at every organizational level. Transgender people should be among your clients, members, guest speakers and event participants, volunteers, staff and board members. Get to know the trans community, organizations, advocates and trans-friendly faith organizations in your area. These may not include many trans older adults, but these connections will help you recruit and include trans older adults. Visible trans participation and leadership tends to attract more participation by trans people. Try not to rely on the leadership of one or a select few people to act as a representative of the entire trans community – try to be include trans people in all aspects of your organization. This takes time but is worth the effort.
- Recognize the diversity of the trans community. Trans older adults are diverse in gender, race, religion, income, education, ability and sexual orientation. Again, recruiting a broad range of trans people takes time, and the trans individuals and organizations that are most visible in your community might not be very diverse.
- Educate yourself about transgender people’s lives, experiences and concerns. Make a personal commitment to increase your knowledge through reading, research, and attending educational events. The onus should not be on individual trans people to provide basic education. If possible, arrange for training focused on transgender cultural competence.
- Adopt a policy of respect. Understand that every person’s gender identity is who they are, and is entitled to respect. Simply put, this means that if a person identifies as a woman, she should be treated as a woman; if a person identifies as a man, he should be treated as a man.
Continue reading at: http://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resource.cfm?r=512
