All Means All: Removing Barriers to Community Living for LGBTQI+ Older Adults and Disabled People

Performing the duties of ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community includes people of all ages, with and without disabilities. During Pride Month, the Administration for Community Living celebrates that diversity and reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that our programs respect the identities and culture of each person they serve, and that all older adults and disabled people are welcomed.

ACL and the aging and disability networks are driven by a shared vision of making community living possible for all people. But LGBTQI+ people often face additional barriers to getting the services and care they need to maintain their health and independence. For example, more than half of LGBTQI+ adults report experiencing discrimination in health care, and many avoid seeking health care services due to fear of discrimination - as a result, discrimination is a primary cause for the health disparities experienced by the LGBTQI+ community. Discrimination, along with challenges finding service providers that understand their unique needs, also prevents many LGBTQI+ people from seeking community living services and supports.

Ensuring our programs are truly inclusive of all older adults and people with disabilities is fundamental for ACL. We believe in "nothing about us without us" and are committed to ensuring that a diverse range of voices - including the voices of LGBTQI+ people with disabilities and older adults - informs the development of policies and programs to meet their needs. We work directly with advocates and stakeholders to ensure our programs are inclusive, effective, and responsive to the individuals and families they serve.

During this Pride Month and the months surrounding it, ACL has hosted and participated in several events aimed at soliciting input from the LGBTQI+ community. During Lesbian Visibility Week in April, we met with community members, researchers, policy experts, and health and social service providers to discuss barriers older lesbians face to accessing care at home and in the community. The discussion examined issues related to caregiving and ways to improve access to critical services and supports. Earlier this month, we welcomed a group of LGBTQI+ aging and disability advocates for a Pride Month meeting to discuss our ongoing work on behalf of LGBTQI+ older adults and people with disabilities.

ACL also works throughout the year with federal colleagues across HHS to ensure LGBTQI+ older adults and people with disabilities are included as an essential part of all department efforts to combat health disparities. During Pride Month, we highlighted that work through several events and initiatives. As I have every year since joining to ACL, I joined Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and leaders from across the department to raise the pride flag. I also joined a panel at the second annual HHS Pride Summit highlighting federal efforts to combat discrimination and improve support for LGBTQI+ individuals. In addition, ACL contributed to a fact sheet released by HHS this week to ensure LGBTQI+ older adults know their rights under federal civil rights laws.

As President Biden said in his Proclamation on Pride Month 2024, the LGBTQI+ community enriches every facet of American life. We know that when everyone participates in community life, everyone wins. Sexual orientation and gender identity should never be barriers to getting the services and supports a person needs to thrive in the community - and ACL is committed to ensuring they are not.