Declaring that
older gay Americans are being marginalized, gay rights
leaders in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday blasted the
organizers of this week's White House
Conference on Aging, a summit held once a decade that
recommends policy changes to the president and Congress on
issues affecting the approximately 78 million
Americans age 60 and over. According to those in
attendance, this summit was significantly less focused
on making concrete policy suggestions than the 1995
conference, specifically in regard to issues facing
older gay Americans, such as HIV, housing, and
discrimination.
"The
conference itself provides no opportunities to submit
resolutions or to significantly change
resolutions," said Roberta Sklar, director of
communications for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
an advocacy group for gay issues. "It reflects
not just the lack of interest but the conscious effort
to squelch the interests of [the LGBT] community."
"The way
this conference compares to the last one is stunning and
deplorable," added Task Force executive director Matt
Foreman. Amber Hollibaugh, senior strategist for the
Task Force, described the conference as being
dominated by commerce--specifically, businesses
shilling products aimed at the aging community. "[The
conference setup] was a slap in the face to all of
us," she said. "[The organizers] thought
of aging as a marketplace, a place to make a profit."
A 17-member
policy committee directs the Conference on Aging, with the
president selecting nine members and Congress picking eight.
Hollibaugh said the Task Force, along with other
groups that attended the conference such as
SAGE--Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, and Transgender Elders--will be
contacting politicians to voice their dissatisfaction
with the White House's handling of the conference.
"There may be many ramifications,"
Hollibaugh said. "There's going to be a great
deal of follow-up work." (Advocate.com)
