Rainbow Elders Newsletter October 2017

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Join us at the Bohemian Biergarten in downtown Boulder on November 2nd for the Age Well Happy Hour!

The Aging Services Foundation (one of our main funders), is hosting this mixer/benefit to support services and programs for seniors and family caregivers in our community.
Admission is $25 and entitles you to a plethora of food, one free drink at the bar, live gypsy-jazz music delivered to you by the 4-piece band Espresso!, and free entry to door prize drawings for local goods and services, including a hearty batch of Conscious Coffee!
No long speeches, no asks for money, just a nice evening of music, food, and good company. Get a ticket here.

For those interested in attending the Age Well Conference itself (an annual one-day event for professionals to meet, learn and discuss ongoing and emerging issues and trends in aging) on Nov 3rd, you can purchase tickets here.

Early last week, the Senate Majority Leader determined that a vote on the latest plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act would not proceed. Over the weekend, the American Hospital Association (http://www.aha.org/) released its state-by-state analysis of the potential impact of this legislation and found these key points for our state (if the most recent bill had passed):

• Medicaid coverage decreases by 250,000
  Coloradans in 2026.
• Employment based coverage loses
  23,000 individuals, and the non-group coverages (including the individual
  marketplace) loses
  nearly 110,000.
• Colorado loses $165 million in
  the first year of the block grant (2020) and loses $3.4 billion in the
  block grants between 2020 and 2026. Paired with the loss on the per-capita
  cap ($0.4 billion), Colorado’s
  total impact on federal funding is a loss of $3.8 billion.

Key Republican senators publicly stated they would not vote for the repeal, which was largely the reason for pulling the bill. While this seems to signal the end of immediate attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, some Republicans suggest they will revisit the prospect of repeal in 2018.

The Colorado Fiscal Institute (http://www.coloradofiscal.org/) reports that the Senate Budget Committee is aiming to take the first step towards a major tax-cutting bill by marking up—or considering—their budget resolution next week.

The budget resolution is a necessary first step to passing a tax package that is widely expected to cut taxes deeply for the wealthy and profitable corporations because it creates the reconciliation rules that would allow the Senate to pass the tax plan with a simple majority.

(story credit: Boulder County Community Services Red Thread Newsletter)

from Juliette Kershner (BCAAA intern): As an ally and friend/relative to LGBTQ persons and as someone working in aging services I see the importance and value of your voices being heard. I am collecting stories for a research project and I'm hoping to find more people to interview. For me, it would be an honor to personally hear your stories and I will hold them with care and respect.

WHY
My intention is to submit the results of this research for publication, probably to a gerontological journal. Due to the value of these stories, I'd like to share them in a way that hopefully moves us toward understanding and more respectful and sensitive services for all older adults.
WHAT
I am looking to meet with older adults (particularly transgender women/ men/ nonbinary people, as I have already had the pleasure of interviewing a few cisgender women and gathering a diversity of perspectives is important) who identify as LGBTQ and sit with them to hear their life stories, as a part of completing a Masters in Gerontology at UNC. The goal is to create a space for people to share what is meaningful and important for them to share as they tell of who they are and what their life experiences have been. Identities will be held in confidence, and pseudonyms will be used in a write up of findings.

I would meet you for about an hour (ideally twice) to hear your story, and it would be audio-recorded. I will buy you lunch and bring it to wherever we meet!

I would love for this to be collaborative:

1) You are welcome to guide me as to what’s important to talk about
2) If you are further available and willing, I would like to check back with you to ensure that the transcripts are correct.

If interested in learning more about participating, email Juliette

For 29 years, we have celebrated coming out as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Queer (LGTBQ) on October 11 as a way to encourage each other to live as our authentic selves and remember that coming out (when possible to do so safely) remains one of the most powerful tools in striving for the dignity, safety, and equity we all deserve. While more than 50% of Americans has a close loved one who is gay or lesbian, only about 10% have someone in their lives who is openly transgender. The decision to come out can profoundly shape our communities, families, and workplaces yet this choice is personal and can require some considerations. Whether you are in, out, or in-between, October 11 is a day to celebrate that LGBTQ people are vital parts of every community!

If you have news to share, submit your articles, announcement, etc. to Beit Gorski with the subject "Newsletter Submission" by the first of the month to be considered for that month's newsletter (specify if you wish to be featured in "Upcoming Events").

The LGBT Programs of the BCAAA receive support from:

the Dave Ensign Charitable Foundation and many individual donors like you.