by Terri Worman

Many LGBT community organizations, like their counterparts in the traditional aging network, are trying to understand how to reach out to LGBT elders, especially those in communities of color. I went in search of an organization that has gotten it right -- and asked it for advice. That organization is the GRIOT Circle, founded in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1996 by African American community organizer Regina Shavers.

The organization’s mission is to create “an intergenerational and culturally diverse community-based organization . . . enriching the lives of older [LGBT] persons, especially elders of color.” This mission entails alleviating isolation and fear, supporting self-empowerment, and honoring elders’ distinctive histories and traditions. Glen Francis, deputy executive director of GRIOT Circle, offered his thoughts on the successes of the organization and what the rest of us might learn from its experiences:

The GRIOT Circle grew out of informal groups of individuals who helped one another out. Is that an important fact to note when doing outreach in communities of color?

We people of color come out of an informal culture, and that fact has to be first and foremost in the mind of anyone trying to organize this community. Our success has come from linking these groups through what is unique to their experiences.

Your website notes that GRIOT is an intergenerational organization -- but that the programs are specifically designed for elders. How does that work?

Having been intergenerational from its inception, GRIOT keeps its forums for mentoring open, providing buddies for mutual support and respect. Younger members are considered supporters. The members of GRIOT itself, though, are its older population.

You partner with other agencies to provide a wide array of services and support. How did you decide what to focus on most?

The overwhelming needs in our community are health, poverty, housing and isolation. Because we have higher rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS than any other community, health is top on our list. Per capita, blacks and other minorities are 54 percent more likely to die due to a preventable disease. And you can understand why poverty is a factor.

What are the specific concerns with HIV/AIDS?

Black men are 75 percent more likely than their white counterparts to die from HIV-related diseases. Successful treatments for HIV/AIDS are the primary reason for the graying of the epidemic. One in every six people newly diagnosed with HIV is 50 or older. It is highly probable that the majority of people who are living with HIV in major cities will be over 50 sometime in the next decade.

How do you see baby boomers differing from elders born in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s?

The new generation of elders has a better understanding of the Internet and access to the information superhighway. They have more in terms of pensions; most of them have or had government jobs. Their retirement cushion is softer, and they are more able to get around. A lot of retirement issues are now being addressed with open access to education as well as financial management and pension plans.

Terri Worman is director of state operations for AARP in Illinois. She also serves as cochair of the Chicago Task Force on LGBT Aging.

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