In collaboration with The Ravazzin Center for Social Work Research in Aging at Fordham University

Call for Proposals on Gay and Lesbian Aging

Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE), the nation's oldest and largest social services agency dedicated to senior lesbians and gays, is seeking proposals for its upcoming national conference to be held Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, 1998 at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus in New York City. The conference's theme is:

"Expanding the Family Portrait: Gays and Lesbians Growing Older"

As such, the conference aims to:

heighten awareness of gay and lesbian aging issues within the gay and non-gay communities

vigorously debate the causes, effects, and potential solutions for ageism and age-phobia in the gay community

identify strategies for bringing gay and lesbian elderly fully into the gay community's family portrait

showcase innovative outreach, support and service programs for aging gays and lesbians.

Submissions are invited that report on research or innovative programs related to these themes and any other critical issues for the growing number of senior lesbians and gay men. Papers, posters, symposia and workshops are acceptable formats.

Submissions are encouraged from practitioners, grassroot organizers, community based organizations, activists and service providers as well as academicians and researchers.

DEADLINE: Proposal submissions must be postmarked no later than December 1, 1997. All proposals must use the "Proposal Application Form." No other format will be accepted. Notification of proposal acceptance, conference registration material and lodging information will be mailed in February 1998.

Questions about the conference, proposal submissions, and the program should be addressed to:

SAGE National Conference
305 Seventh Avenue
16th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Email: Sageusa@aol.com

SAGE, Senior Action in a Gay Environment, is the nation's oldest and largest community based intergenerational social service agency dedicated to honoring, caring for and celebrating the lesbian and gay community's senior members. With a membership base of 3,000, the agency runs a senior Drop-In Center, is a licensed mental health clinic, and provides complete case management and social services to over 1,000 clients each month. Through its outreach and education efforts, SAGE combats the dual discrimination of ageism and anti-gay bigotry faced by senior gays and lesbians, and also works to provide younger gays and lesbians with positive role models for aging. Its programs, several of which were the first of their kind, include AIDS and the Elderly, The Older Lesbian Project, an international pen-pal network, and Friendly Visitors to homebound gay seniors. SAGE has affiliates in over a dozen cities in the United States, and Canada.

The Ravazzin Center

The Ravazzin Center for Social Work Research in Aging of Fordham University coordinates initiatives in the field of aging for the University's Graduate School of Social Work. The need for increased social work attention to aging is compelling. As the 20th century comes to a close, this nation's population is rapidly growing older. Few social work students declare an interest in the field of aging. Limited exposure to the knowledge base essential to work with older persons and their families leaves newly trained professionals ill prepared for work with an aging population.

The Ravazzin Center's mission is to enable social workers to meet the needs of an aging society through developing and disseminating empirically based knowledge that will further the understanding of aging and strengthen the role of social work.