When Hérman Carrera discovered that staffers at the Latino senior center where he worked weren’t asking new clients about their sexual orientation when completing the intake form, he first took on the task one client at a time, then looked to promote change agencywide. Confronting personal fears, cultural norms and concerns from coworkers, he eventually raised awareness about the importance of LGBT cultural competence throughout the organization. Read More >>

Too often, LGBT community organizations cite the need for diversity but do little to go beyond presenting predominantly white faces in programming. As author Nancy Flaxman began convening a speakers panel of LGBT elders for her San Francisco nonprofit, she decided that there was no way she was going to settle for an all-white group. Ensuring a varied ethnic and racial makeup for her panel involved continuous, intensive outreach. But the effort has paid off. Read More >>

Even in metropolitan areas with high concentrations of Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT people, few organizations specifically address aging issues in these communities. The low visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT elders makes identifying their needs a challenge, yet service providers need to know that they face distinct concerns. Denys T. Lau provides an overview. Read More >>

Many LGBT community organizations are trying to understand how to reach out to elders in communities of color -- a mission long at the core of Brooklyn’s GRIOT Circle, which works to alleviate isolation and fear, encourage self-empowerment and honor elders’ distinctive histories and traditions. The organization’s deputy executive director offers a snapshot of the GRIOT Circle’s successes in supporting African American LGBT elders -- along with tips for professionals in the field. Read More >>

“Fear drives us to turn away from those of us who are different because it’s less scary to be around people just like us,” LGAIN cochair Kimberly D. Acquaviva writes in her column this quarter. “The statement is equally true no matter what your age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity.” Kim adds that this issue of OutWord encourages us to move from fear to inclusion -- and she notes that the dialogue will continue in future issues and at the 2008 ASA annual conference. Read More >>