Most civil rights movements take place over many decades, meaning that the early activists often don’t live long enough to reap the fruits of their labors: U.S. voting rights for women were called for in 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention, for example, but the 19th Amendment didn’t pass until 1920.
I therefore feel especially privileged to have lived long enough to see the massive changes the Obama Administration has wrought in the federal government’s treatment of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens. Unfortunately, most of these changes have been “under the radar” and haven’t addressed the major legislation many LGBT activists are most concerned about – the formal repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act, and passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act – so the Administration hasn’t gotten the credit it deserves. But for those of us who have been working for these changes for decades, the new policies and practices are nothing short of miraculous. In this article, we’ll discuss what’s happened and the probable ramifications these changes will have for those who work with abused and at-risk elders and disabled adults.
First, let’s time travel back to 1996. Continue reading →
More and more, aging service providers are being asked to ask their clients about their sexual orientation and gender identity. But these are traditionally taboo subjects! What’s a caring service provider supposed to do?
