We've written in The New Old Age on occasion about the particular challenges that gay men and lesbians face as they age: the financial inequities that result from federal and state governments declining to recognize same-sex marriages; the fears of discrimination in senior housing and programs; the frequent reliance, when family support is missing, on friends who are aging as well.

Sage, the nation's oldest service and advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors, last week unveiled its online National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, underwritten by several foundations and a grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Joining forces with 10 other groups, including the American Society on Aging and the National Institute of Senior Centers, Sage has ambitious plans for this first-ever site. It wants to serve organizations for gay seniors, as well as housing and service providers, and to help older adults themselves. It intends to offer publications, a directory of organizations and programs, personal stories, interviews with leading experts, and more. The list of topics it expects to tackle is long, from health care access to H.I.V. and aging to transgender elders.

So far, the site's reach exceeds its grasp. SAGE is waiting for individuals and organizations to say what they want and need, to help compile the directories and listings that will be useful to visitors, to fill in the blanks. It's a yearlong project, and you can join the effort at www.lgbtagingcenter.org.

Paula Span is the author of When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.