Senator Jehlen Chairs First In Nation Commission on LGBT Seniors

Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville) and Representative James O’Day (D-West Boylston), co-chairs of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Aging, convened the commission’s first meeting on April 2nd, 2014. Created in an outside section in the FY2014 budget, the LGBT Aging Commission is the first statewide commission in the country to focus on the needs of LGBT seniors.

This commission has been tasked with investigating, analyzing and studying the health, housing, financial, psychosocial and long-term care needs of older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults, and their caregivers, and to make recommendations to improve access to benefits and services where appropriate and necessary. At the first meeting, commission members discussed the timeline for creating recommendations, public listening sessions, and goals for the commission’s report.

Commission meetings are open to the public, and will be posted on www.malegislature.gov no less than a week before the commission meets. The next meeting is scheduled for May 7th, 2014 at 10:30am, and will be held at AARP’s offices located at One Beacon Street. Please stay tuned for future updates about commission meetings and public listening sessions, where commission members will be soliciting comment from members of the public and community groups on the needs of LGBT seniors.

– Submitted by State Senator Patricia Jehlen’s office