Join SAGE at Creating Change!
It’s that time of year again! CREATING CHANGE! Creating Change is an annual gathering of organizers and activists working to create a world in which sexual orientations and gender expressions will be welcomed and celebrated. SAGE will be there representing and advocating for LGBTQ+ older adults and providing a series of workshops, trainings and a safe space for our elders to be celebrated.
Here’s the aging track at a glance! Don’t forget about the Accessibility Hospitality Suite located in Room 1203 and the Elder Hospitality Suite in Room 2079!
Elder Hospitality Suite, Room 2079
Thursday 8am-8pm • Friday & Saturday 8am-10pm
Stop by for refreshment, relaxation, networking, and conversation! There will also be opportunities to record and share your own stories.
Meals available daily (times are approximate):
Breakfast 8:00am • Lunch 12:00pm • Dinner 5:30pm
Special Programming:
Thurs 6:00 -7:00pm—Senior Voice: Constituent Advocacy Group from Center on Halsted
Fri 12:15-1:15pm—LGBTQ+ in Chicago: A Historical Perspective with John D’Emilio
Fri 6:00-8:00pm— Cross Generational Storytelling Program in Youth Suite
Sat 6:00-7:00pm— National Landscape Snapshot with Serena Worthington, SAGE and Troy Johnson, Center on Halsted
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21
LGBTQ+ Elder and Ally Advocacy and Movement Building: Towards Equal Treatment for All
9:00am-6:30pm • Lake Huron, 8th Floor
This Institute convenes LGBTQ+ people and their allies to learn how to 1) tell a powerful story 2) capture stories in the field and 3) learn how stories are used to tackle issues of primary importance to LGBTQ+ elders across the country. The day opens with stories from LGBTQ+ activists, including members of SAGE Center on Halsted’s noted Senior Voice program and also features a series of skill building workshops focused on storytelling fundamentals taught by Christa Orth, a storyteller from Brooklyn, New York. The second half of the day focuses on storytelling models including OUTSpoken!, a monthly live event in Chicago that features LBGTQ storytelling.
Our afternoon workshops consist of technical training on capturing stories using video via smartphones video and audio interviews using the StoryCorps model. The day will culminate in the capturing of individual stories. LGBTQ+ older adults, staff and constituents of aging service agencies, LGBTQ+ and social justice organizations, and students are encouraged to attend. All are welcome!
Hosted by Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) and facilitated by Serena Worthington, Director of National Field Initiatives, SAGE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22
Building Age Inclusive LGBTQ+ Centers and Services
Workshop 1 • 9:00am–10:30am • Williford B, 3rd Floor
LGBTQ+ older adults are often overlooked by the LGBTQ+ community. We know from both research and anecdotal evidence that LGBTQ+ older adults often do not feel welcome or comfortable accessing LGBTQ+ services, community centers, and programming. This is a critically underserved population that is often quite isolated. Many LGBTQ+ organizations have enhanced their efforts at creating outreach and programming that will help bring in LGBTQ+ older adults. This presentation will highlight a new guide from the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging and give participants concrete suggestions for reaching LGBTQ+ older adults.
Presenters: Tim Johnston, SAGE; Terri Clark, ActionAIDS
Challenging Ageism
Workshop 2 • 10:45am–12:15pm • Room 4A, 4th Floor
Ageism is not spoken about, understood, addressed, or acted upon in very many places despite all the publicity about how the US population is “growing older.” Old people are ignored, ridiculed, patronized, and told they should look young, act young, think young, etc. Young women especially start worrying about looking old in their 20s, something indicated on many birthday cards. For the health and wellbeing of all, especially old people, we need to learn how to recognize it at many ages and practice challenging it. Lesbians over 60 from Old Lesbians Organizing for Change will share information, tell personal stories, and circulate ads and birthday cards that illustrate how ageism works. We will ask attendees for stories and examples of how they can respond to these. The group will do role plays to practice challenging ageism.
Presenters: Jan Griesinger and Ali Marrero-Calderon, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
SAGE Advocacy Award for Excellence in Leadership on Aging Issues Honoring Katherine Acey
Presented by SAGE CEO Michael Adams
Plenary Session: State of the Movement
1:30pm–2:45pm • International Ballroom
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
Longing for Home: Safe & Affordable Elder Housing
Workshop 5 • 9:00am–10:30am • PDR 2, 3rd Floor
One of the biggest issues facing many LGBTQ+ older adults is finding safe, affordable housing in cities across the country. Due to higher levels of financial insecurity and a general lack of affordable housing, many LGBTQ+ elders find that they cannot afford homes in the communities they may have lived in for years. Others face harassment and intimidation in their homes and in long-term care settings from aging professionals, other residents, and even their own family members. In recent years, LGBTQ+ aging advocates have begun addressing these housing insecurities through a variety of approaches including: expanding programs and services; training providers; changing policy; and educating consumers. Join us for a conversation about how these approaches are being implemented nation-wide.
Presenters: Serena Worthington, SAGE; Britta Larson, Center on Halsted; Tripp Mills, Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Center
Rage Against the Dying of the Light: LGBTQ+ Aging Diverse Perspectives
Workshop 6 • 10:45am–12:15pm • PDR 2, 3rd Floor
What are the unique needs that LGBTQ+ people of color face as they get older? Are programs, services, policies, and laws meeting those needs? This discussion will identify some of the resources for LGBTQ+ elders of color, and will allow participants to think about the intersecting impacts of ageism, racism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. Presenters will facilitate a discussion with national perspectives and local solutions.
Presenters: Ben de Guzman, Diverse Elders Coalition; Maria Glover-Wallace, Affinity Community Services; Vega Subramaniam, Vega Mala Consulting; Aaron Tax, SAGE; Serena Worthington, SAGE
OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) Caucus
Caucus 2 • 6:30pm–7:30pm • PDR 4, 3rd Floor
OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) Caucus will help attendees become familiar with the Organization of Old Lesbians and the lives of Old Lesbians. Attendees will discuss their own communities and the need for Old Lesbian activism, community building, and education about ageism and the intersection with other oppressions. Attendees will also leave with information on how to start a group or chapter in their own geographic area.
Presenters: Ruth Debra, Sally Tatnall, Jan Griesinger and Bonnie Wagner from Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
Queer People of Color Elders Caucus
Caucus 2 • 6:30pm–7:30pm • Room 4E, 4th Floor
For the first time in U.S. history, there is a critical mass of out, activist queer people of color who are approaching retirement age. Our generation is the open-faced-sandwich generation, caring for elder parents, but not necessarily having children to care for us. Let’s start sharing our questions and struggles, and start planning together. This caucus is a venue for us to address questions such as: How will we ensure that service providers are culturally competent? Who will make decisions about our care, death, and funeral? In our QPOC social movements, how do we create intergenerational spaces and pass on institutional knowledge? What legacy do we want to leave?
Presenters: Vega Subramaniam, Vega Mala Consulting; Ben de Guzman, Diverse Elders Coalition; Maria Glover-Wallace, Affinity Community Services
LGBTQ+ Elders 50+ and Allies Dance
9:00pm-Midnight • Continental A&B, Lobby Level
Join DJ OCD who will be blending and mixing Chicago House, Spanish and Latino tunes for us to boogie down to, shake a tail feather at and party all night with. This annual event is free and open to people of all ages, races, faith traditions, sexual orientations and gender identities. All Welcome! Sponsored by AARP.
