For News of the Coalition and Upcoming Events of Interest
click on the link above to access the current newsletter.
There are lots of interesting Announcements below on this page, please scroll down.
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Steering Committee Meetings
are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month
The Austin LGBT Coalition on Aging Steering Committee Meetings are open to all. Members of the Coalition and ALL recipients of this email announcement are invited—and urged—to attend.
To continue the work of the Coalition, public participation is needed.
Please RSVP so we will expect you and know to admit you to the zoom room
Email contact@algbtcoa.org for more information or to RSVP
The next Zoom meeting will be
July 18, 2024,
2:30 PM
You’re Invited
Here’s the link to the meeting:
LGBT Steering Committee Meeting
This is an important moment in the history of the Coalition. We are discussing our future. We are considering declaring our original job of alerting senior services of the need to serve the LGBTQ population as completed. We are considering merging the Coalition into another non-profit that performs direct services to LGBTQ seniors. These decisions will be voted on at the Annual Membership Meeting, set for Thursday, September 19, 2:30 pm
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Important Message from Coalition Co-Chair, Richard Bondi
Some of you may recall the September 2016 meeting when the Coalition was created. I was one of the original Steering Committee members. For several years now, the only attendees to the annual fall meetings have been the Steering Committee members. In the last two years we’ve added some new Steering Committee, members bringing the count up to nine. However, those nine are not enough to do the work that needs to be done to make a dent in accomplishing the Coalition’s mission. Our monthly business meetings are open to all, but they aren’t fun or glamorous. It’s not unusual to have one or two Coalition and non-Coalition attendees outside the Steering Committee at the monthly business meetings, but it’s not a significant number and is far, far short of the attendees at our first couple of meetings in 2016. And they’re rarely repeat attendees.
Having said that, I want to commend the current and past Steering Committee members. Every one of them is dedicated to improving the lives of older LGBT+ older adults in our area. But in all honestly, most of what has been touted as Coalition accomplishments over the years, might’ve happened without the Coalition, as it’s been primarily achieved by the efforts of the Steering Committee members. As I’ve stated they are truly committed to improving the lives of older LGBT+ older adults in our area and they act on that commitment daily.
If the Coalition is to continue, we need a lot more participation from the local LGBT+ community. Otherwise, we’re tilting at windmills.
To try and increase participation, we started having quarterly social events to try, but attendance to those has been sparse.
Bottom line – If we don’t get a lot more participation from local LGBT+ community, we’re going to recommend shutting down the Coalition this fall. And if the Steering Committee recommends that and the Steering Committee comprises the bulk of the attendees at this fall’s annual meeting, that’s what’ll happen.
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Annual Membership Meeting
Official announcement
September 19, 2024
2:30 pm by Zoom
There is IMPORTANT business to vote on.
Please attend this meeting.
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Steering Committee Membership
Membership is open to all regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, or gender identification. The Steering Committee meets monthly, almost always less than two hours. Currently those meetings are held virtually so there is no time spent in traffic. It’s a great opportunity to be more involved in the direction of the Coalition and get better acquainted with folks like yourself who are interested in improving the lives of LGBT seniors in Austin.
Steering Committee, please contact us at
FYI
The Steering Committee meetings have been on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 2:30 pm. In response to a request from a member to make the meetings more accessible to the public, we are meeting at 6:30 in the evenings once a quarter (March, June, Sept, Dec).
- Queer Movie Night – Thursday, July 25, 2024, mocktail hour 6-7 p.m., movie “Moonlight” 7:15-9:30 p.m., Dougherty Arts Center (1110 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, Texas 78704) – Join Austin Public Health, Breathe With Pride and Sans Bar for a FREE showing of “Moonlight” with alcohol-free drinks. Open to anyone 18 years and older. A tobacco- and alcohol-free event.
Coalition Steering Committee Member Honored by AGE of Central Texas
Fred Lugo, one of the original members of the Coalition Steering Committee, has been chosen as the 2024 Willie Kocurek Vital Aging Award winner! Fred is being recognized for his inspiring outlook on aging and for the amazing work he has done benefiting older adults and family caregivers in Travis County. Willie Kocurek, a man who approached aging with tenacity and also did amazing things for our community, would be honored to have someone as worthy as Fred win this award.
Yeah, Fred !
The Vital Aging Award honors a community member who exemplifies the concept of vital aging and who is accomplished in the areas of self-determination, self-sufficiency, civic engagement, and quality of life.
Suzanne Anderson nominated Fred Lugo for this award and a committee of community members and leaders found him to be the deserving winner.
This award will be publicly announced at the upcoming Spirit of a New AGE event on July 26, 2024.
- We as a group are defining legend with the above criteria. My personal definition of a legend is someone who has nothing left to prove and everything to give.
- Younger people NEED to see older gay people, lesbians, trans people etc.… how can they picture their future if they don’t see a version of it anywhere in our cultural celebrations?
- We have some seating options that can accommodate any mobility aids reserved for Legends of PRIDE.
- If you want a caregiver to join you please let register them as well – each individual needs to register.
- All participants will be registered ahead of time – walk ups are discouraged.
The Coalition marched in the PRIDE Parade
A BIG THANK YOU to our planning partners at Rainbow Connections ATX. Thank you to our sponsor, The Helper Bees. And Thank you to our partners who joined us in the parade; Alzheimer’s Association, Austin Public Library, Care Patrol, LBJ Library, Book Woman, AARP Texas, Agency on Aging Capital of Texas, Helper Bees, Taylor PRIDE, Austin PRIDE, AGE of Central Texas, and the office of Congressman Lloyd Doggett.
Read the rest of the story with photos on About Us
Who We Are
The ALGBTCOA is a coalition of community activists, service agencies, LGBTQ organizations, and interested parties who have come together to improve the future for LGBT older adults as we naturally age. The Coalition hopes to encourage service providers and senior services to understand and train their staffs regarding the needs of LGBT clients, residents, and patients. The Coalition was formed to address the question: “What are the LGBT friendly services in Austin?” We would like to make all of them LGBT-friendly.
Read about the goals of the Coalition
People Living with HIV Stigma Index 2.0
The Social Determinants of Health & Equity Workgroup of Austin Fast Track Cities, is a collaborative effort where local government and nonprofit leaders and volunteers work together on ending the HIV epidemic in Austin and the surrounding counties. We are bringing an exciting project to Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties and are recruiting for the Advisory Committee for this project. If you are interested, please read more and complete the interest form here.
GOLDEN GENERATION
A Meals on Wheels Senior Lunch
Mondays & Wednesday 10-1
The “Golden Generation” is a group for 60+ LGBTQ seniors and their partners/allies. If you are interested in participating, send an email to office@uprisingaustin.org and look for instructions by email the first of each week.
More information on the “Golden Generation” is available on our website under the Senior Resources>Austin Resources>Senior Services tab. There is a “flyer” below on this page with info under SERVICES.
The Monthly Newsletter, accessible from the top of this page, has the most up-to-date Announcements.
SURVEYS
Here’s an opportunity to get your real life experiences recognized
Health Equity for African Americans League (HEAAL)
In 2023 HEAAL identified mental health problems as the most important health problem in Blacks/African/African American communities in Orange County. The African American Alliance Fund (AAAF) has commissioned CFHI to do more work towards understanding the top mental health problems confronting Blacks/Africans/African Americans. Our goal is to capture the top health and mental health priorities of Blacks/Africans/African Americans in your community. To make this work statistically significant, we want to hear from you.
The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous and your responses will not be linked to you or your email (even if it shows your email). Please complete the entire form as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at cfhi@expertmanagers.org or ooleribe@cfhealthinitiative.org.
Click HERE to complete the survey. If this fails, please copy and paste the URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRerXEB8Tybx_tvK6W1UKltKlikbeF3gMbqVG9RnJ-kpZSBQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&usp=mail_form_link to complete the survey.
Austin LGBTQ History
The Watson Chateau – Austin’s Well-Kept Secret
Hiding on University of Texas at Austin campus, next to the School of Nursing, a peculiar building peeks out from behind old trees, tall fencing, thick vines, and overgrown bushes. Unlike all the other buildings on campus, no sign announces the university-owned Arthur P. Watson-Robert “Bob” Garrett House (a.k.a. The Chateau or Watson Chateau). It is a place filled with under-told history about women, African-Americans, and 50 years of importance to the LGBTQ community. If you visited The Chateau, have photos/videos, or simply heard stories, please contact Marta Stefaniuk at watsonchateau@gmail.com to help her continue collecting its vital history.
Read more about the Chateau and why this old building is of importance to Austin LGBTQ history
The ALGBTCOA sponsors The Memory Project: LGBTQ History in Austin. Please take a look at our page on this website. Please consider contributing your story.
The national organization SAGE will be undertaking a new strategic direction – with a special emphasis on those elders previously left behind.
Read about SAGE’s outreach to more sectors of our community
In Face of Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism, 200 Senior Living Communities Commit to LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Participating in Inaugural Long Term Care Equality Index (LEI) by HRC Foundation and SAGE
Click here to access the report and see the LGBTQ+ inclusive senior facilities around the US
The FTC has recently received a number of consumer reports about remote job scams targeting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. We’ve posted an alert to make people aware of this scam trend. We’re asking LGBTQ+ partners like you to help us spread the word.
Please share this link and attached graphic: Looking for a remote job for a cause you care about? Here’s how to know if it’s a scam with your networks.
Check out the Announcements in the current Newsletter (above) for
QWELL events, Austin PRIDE,
Rainbow Connections ATX, etc
SERVICES
Senior Services Hub for Older Adults in Austin
Austin Public Health (APH) and AFA are pleased to announce the launch of a new website,
“Senior Services Hub for Older Adults in
Austin.”
It provides a wide variety of information on resources available to Austin’s older adult community, all in one place! Please
take a moment to check it out!
https://www.austintexas.gov/page/senior-services-hub-older-adults-austin
City of Austin
LGBTQ Quality of Life Study
Click here to download the Quality of Life Survey Findings from our website
Click here to download the full Report, titled Priorities for Action, from our website
Click here to download the Travis County Snapshot from the American Communities Survey with interesting demographics (Note: LGBTQ stats were not included in this 2021 survey.)
QWELL is a sister organization to the Coalition on Aging; from the first Townhall Meeting that saw the creation of the ALGBTCOA, we were charged with participating in the development of an LGBTQ Community Center. QWELL, headed up by Clayton Gibson, has been a leader in that effort and in the recent community surveys.
Click here to make your donation to support MASSIVE PROGRESS for LGBTQIA+ people in Greater Austin
Qwell Update December 2023
QWELL and our developer, Pennrose, are in talks with Catellus about a parcel of land in Mueller on which to build one of our mixed-use developments that will each include:
- One of QWELL’s LGBTQIA+ community centers (on the top floor for security);
- Clinical spaces for our partners who offer critical services and want to co-locate with one or more of the Centers;
- LGBTQIA+ friendly affordable housing or senior housing; and,
- A vibrant street level of queer-friendly shops and restaurants to serve the whole neighborhood.
We may publicly announce the first location at the fundraiser in December (optimistic but possible) and the second by the end of 2024. We should begin construction on the first building in 2025.
If your organization wants to co-locate in our buildings, it’s time to start seriously talking about what you need in the space and how much money you need to fund this expansion. Let’s start planning to make it happen in the next 2-3 years.
QWELL’S APP: GREATER
QWELL’s forthcoming smartphone app, GREATER – launching by January – will hopefully bring in enough money to not only fund QWELL’s growth but also help fund yours as well.
For it to work, all our local LGBTQIA+ leaders need to understand the app’s potential to make our community GREATER and get invested in making the app a huge success so that QWELL has the money to fund all our organizations’ expansion.
Anonymous GREATER app users can recommend queer-friendly businesses and resources and be rewarded for frequenting them. Businesses will pay membership dues to support increased customer visits from GREATER users.
Income projections for the app are great – IF our whole local community gets excited about using this new resource to anonymously find, identify, and rate queer-friendly businesses while earning points and rewards. We also need your help to get local companies excited about using this LGBTQIA+ marketing and community empowerment tool!
In our qwellbeing.org study with UT, 92% of local LGBTQIA+ people tell us it’s important to them to spend their money at queer-friendly businesses but we also hear that finding those businesses is difficult.
QWELL’s GREATER app will be the best way to find any LGBTQIA+ friendly business, healthcare, or resource you need. (We already have more than 6,000 listings and we haven’t even launched yet!)
The app’s success depends on queer people putting their money where their mouth is by showing up to buy from the LGBTQIA+ friendly businesses listed on GREATER.
We’ve designed the app to encourage those behaviors, but it’s vital that all of us and our team members get active on the app right away and then use the invitation codes in the app to invite our local friends who have the freedom to visit and buy from the businesses that join GREATER.
Your organization will find QWELL’s GREATER app directly helpful in several ways:
- GREATER is FREE to you. As one of QWELL’s nonprofit partners, you get full access to all the app’s features that businesses use to drive customers.
- You will be able to access QWELL’s queer wellbeing data whenever you need it. Before our next qwellbeing.org survey opens in June 2024, we plan to add an interface for queer nonprofits to get local, anonymous queer wellbeing data generated from GREATER for grant writing and other purposes. The app will collect anonymous wellbeing data from anonymous users wherever the app is used; then the app website will allow queer nonprofits everywhere to access our data about the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people in their area. Eventually, you’ll even be able to add your own survey questions!
- GREATER connects you with more business donors and helps you recognize their contributions. GREATER’s website (where you’ll manage your organization’s listing) will also include a donor-matching system that allows you to post your needs so registered businesses can meet them. Also, when you verify their donation in your GREATER dashboard, the business will get public credit for it on their business listing! These features should be live by June 2024.
- You’ll attract more LGBTQIA+ people to your services and events. After 5 years of our qwellbeing.org survey, local queer people are still frustrated by how hard it is to find the resources they need, whether STI testing, counseling, primary care, an employer, or a plumber. GREATER makes it easy for anonymous users to find queer-friendly resources of all kinds around them, including your organization.
- Your organization will be able to earn money by creating a Pride Scouts team of your supporters to register businesses for GREATER. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation gave us a seed grant to test this program with Austin-area college students. If the system works in Spring 2024, we’ll roll out this fundraising program to you shortly after!
You should also know that, for security, our GREATER app will spread from trusted-person-to-trusted-person using invite codes. We don’t want any potential bad actors to be able to pinpoint all our community resources.
Please help: Anonymous app users earn points toward rewards by engaging in health-promoting activities, identifying and rating businesses, and more. If you are connected with businesses that offer broadly available commodity products (e.g., Starbucks coffee, McDonald’s fries, etc.), we need your help sourcing rewards to give away through our GREATER app! The ideal rewards are free and available from multiple convenient locations in Greater Austin for users to access.
QUEER HEALTH EQUITY PROGRAM
QWELL formed the world’s first cohort of health systems to pursue the LGBTQIA+ Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) certification with Central Health, Integral Care, and CommUnityCare, representing more than 70 clinics in Greater Austin (and 300+ providers) getting certified this year.
We are assembling the second cohort now and working with consultants to shrink the HEI process down to make it manageable for solo providers and small clinics that we identify and interact with on GREATER.
I hope the upcoming fundraiser and community updates event will inspire more people to become monthly donors to QWELL!
Final bit of news, QWELL has applied for our own 501(c)3 and will be leaving Austin Community Foundation in 2024. If you have recommendations for nonprofit accounting firms or any advice about growth and operations, I’d appreciate your input!
| Support Our Work When people believe in the place where they live, beautiful and amazing things can happen. (Theaster Gates) We are on the cusp of transforming Greater Austin into a much healthier environment for LGBTQIA+ people, and you can help. 2024 is a critical year: Soon we’ll announce the location of our first LGBTQIA+ community center with affordable housing and clinical spaces for our partners. We plan to build 5, with at least one including LGBTQIA+ Senior housing! Austin will be the first in the world to have such centers. In 2023, we helped more than 70 local health clinics – representing 300+ providers – get certified as LGBTQIA+ friendly. This was the world’s first cohort of health systems to do this together, and we are already assembling the second group. Queer/Trans People of Color (QTPOC) make up about half our community and our COLORS OF PRIDE GATHERING will return for a third year in 2024, celebrating and connecting QTPOC with our partners at Austin Latinx Pride and Austin Queer Asians. (CORPORATE SPONSORS NEEDED!) QWELL’s app, GREATER, will be in app stores soon, making it easier than ever before for LGBTQIA+ people to anonymously find the resources we need. You can sign up now to help us test it! To bring these visions to life, we need your support. Our work is funded almost entirely by monthly donations from people like you who chip in what they can: $10, $25, $50, $100, or $1000. Your investment today will play a pivotal role in shaping our LGBTQIA+ community’s future: a happier, healthier, safer future that we have envisioned together over the last eight years. I started QWELL because I saw so much pain in our community that could be relieved by information, guidance, and human connection. Together we can end loneliness, connect people with jobs, healthcare, and resources, and raise the bar on what it means to be a queer community. Together, we can transform LGBTQIA+ life in Greater Austin. Please join us in this historic endeavor. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Clayton Gibson (he/him) CEO, QWELL Community Foundation AustinOutpost.org |
What the Coalition did last year:
Annual General Meeting 2023
At the October 2023 General Meeting, three new members were elected to the Steering Committee: Westley Swihart (of CarePatrol Austin), Jordyn Ames (of Mir Senior Care & Care Consultants, Inc.), and Maya Kern (of Humana). Evan Chiappinelli (of The Helper Bees) stepped down as co-chair but remains on the Steering Committee. Richard Bondi (of The Rainbow Connection ATX at Family Eldercare) was elected Co-chair with Faith Lane (of The Alzheimer’s Association, Capital of Texas). Stephanie Braddock (of Mir Senior Care & Care Consultants, Inc.) continues as Secretary. Toby Johnson (at-large) continues as Treasurer and website manager. Also continuing on the Steering Committee are Fred Lugo (of engAGE Travis County) and Charles Curry (at-large).
Annual dues continue at $0.00.
Email address is contact@algbtcoa.org
Our Tax-exempt EID is 87-0825532