The first six months of 2026 has been a trying time for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people, as we’ve faced a seemingly endless onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders, bills, and political discourse. But if the SAGE community knows one thing, it’s how to fight and never give up.
At SAGE, we continued to fight alongside LGBTQ+ older people and people aging with HIV—and we always will.
SAGE and our allies have spent the first half of the year defending rights, advancing protections, and making sure LGBTQ+ older people and people aging with HIV are not left behind.
Here are six ways we’ve made a difference together:
1. Defended Fair Housing for LGBTQ+ People
When the Trump Administration proposed eliminating the Equal Access Rule—a critical protection that helps ensure LGBTQ+ people, including transgender people, can access HUD-funded housing and shelter programs without discrimination—SAGE helped lead a national response.
Together with partners across the country, we mobilized more than 23,000 public comments defending these protections and laid the groundwork for the legal battles ahead.
2. Mobilized to Protect Medicaid and Medicare
SAGE joined advocates nationwide for Seven Days in June, a coordinated effort to protect Medicaid, Medicare, and other programs that millions depend on.
We hosted a webinar, where experts from Families USA, The AIDS Institute, AARP, and the Center for Medicare Advocacy outlined what’s at stake and how advocates across the country can take action to defend the Medicaid and Medicare programs our communities need.
3. Stood Up for Trans People’s Access to Health Care
SAGE continued to fight back against efforts to restrict gender-affirming care and weaken civil rights protections.
We renewed our support for the Trans Bill of Rights, signed onto legal and policy efforts opposing attacks on protections for trans people, and worked with national partners to oppose proposals that would restrict access to care through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other federal programs.
4. Defended Civil Rights in the Courts
SAGE signed onto multiple amicus briefs that challenged discrimination, protected free speech, and defended nonprofit organizations from political targeting.
These included cases involving discrimination against same-sex spouses, attacks on organizations that express support for trans people, and efforts to us use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to target civil society and disfavored groups.
5. Advanced State Protections for Our Community
Across the country, SAGE helped advance laws and policies that will improve the lives of LGBTQ+ older people and people aging with HIV.
From helping to craft and advocate for Long-Term Care Bills of Rights in Illinois and Minnesota, to elevating the voices of transgender elders in Albany, NY, to advocating for LGBTQ+ older adults and people living with HIV in California, Florida, Virginia, and beyond, we’re helping build change where people live.
6. Kept LGBTQ+ Aging Issues Front and Center in Washington
In June, congressional champions reintroduced the Elder Pride Act, landmark legislation that would expand services and support for LGBTQ+ older people and people living with HIV, particularly in rural communities. We combined our power with coalition partners by adding SAGE’s name to more than a dozen legislative endorsements and letters, including the Medicare Cost Cap Act, and efforts to protect CDC HIV prevention funding and fair housing protections.
At the same time, SAGE advocated for reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and worked with congressional offices to protect critical HIV funding in the federal budget.
And We’re Just Getting Started.
The second half of 2026 will bring new challenges, but also new opportunities to make progress.
The work of SAGE is to ensure that LGBTQ+ older people and people aging with HIV have a powerful voice fighting for dignity, health, housing, and economic security. Together, we’ll continue defending our community and building a future where everyone can age with the respect and resources we deserve.
