AZALEA Hosts Inaugural LGBTQ2S+ Aging Equity Forum

On September 4, 2023, LGBTQ2S+ community members, service providers, advocates, and allies convened at the Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix, AZ for a statewide LGBTQ2S+ Aging Equity Forum. Organized by Tena Alonzo, Director of Educaiton & Research at the Beatitudes Campus, and Megan McCoy, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Northern Arizona University, the forum was made possible through a Campus-Community Partnership grant from NAU's Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC).

The intent of the forum was to bring together people from across Arizona who are committed to strengthening inclusion for LGBT2S+ older adults to learn from one another and collaborate to better support LGBTQ2S+ communities as they age in Arizona. The event included speakers and breakout groups to better understand how communities in Arizona support LGBTQ2S+ elders, challenges experienced, how participants view Arizona as a place to age, and what recommendations participants would make to policymakers. Participants shared:

• LGBTQ2S+ older adults want safe spaces and to be included.

• Importance of intersecting racial and cultural identities, including understanding that each Tribal nation has its own cultural beliefs.

• Education about LGBTQ2S+ communities is needed for service providers and healthcare workers.

• Education about LGBTQ2S+ older adults and history is needed for younger generations.

• Systems and organizations should be held accountable for being inclusive.

You can download the full forum report here:

AZALEA Project.Community Report.11.3.23.pdf

Download PDF • 2.41MB

You can watch the forum speakers here:

• Land ackowledgement and introduction: Tena Alonzo, MA, Director of Education & Research at the Beatitudes Campus

• Forum Overview: Megan McCoy, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Northern Arizona Univeristy
  

• Keynote Speaker: David Ragan, Chief Culture Officer at the Beatitudes Campus.