Mortal Curiosity
2022 End-Of Life
Virtual Conference Series
Visibility Matters: LGBTQI+ and Aging September 15, 2022 | 6-7:30pm (MST)
As LGBTQI+ people age and need supportive services to meet their aging goals, many of them question whether it is safe to share that they are LGBTQI+ due to stigma they have witnessed and experienced over their lifetimes.
When planning for end-of-life care, it is crucial to ensure LGBTQI+ people feel they can come out and be their authentic selves so that we can meet their unique needs.
Visibility Matters is a training for our community’s aging care providers, formal and informal, to ensure that older LGBTQI+ adults receive aging-related services that are welcoming, respectful, and safe for them. This session helps aging care professionals and volunteers become more informed, sensitive to, and supportive of the needs of LGBTQI+ older adults and their families.
Presented by: Sarah Bahnson of Pima Council on Aging
Sarah Bahnson of Pima Council on Aging
Sarah Bahnson is currently the LGBTQI+ Community Liaison for Pima Council on Aging. They hold a BA in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Arizona. Sarah has worked for Wingspan, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network and has been educating southern Arizona on the LGBTQI+ community for 10 years.
At PCOA, Sarah’s work has focused on the unique needs and concerns of LGBTQI+ older adults and their families. They have developed Visibility Matters, a suite of trainings, designed to help service providers better understand and serve LGBTQI+ older adults and their families with a special focus on advance care planning and skill sets for serving LGBTQI+ people with dementia.
Sarah identifies as middle-aged, queer, crip, non-binary, and a dog lover. They use their identity as an entry point for engaging group discussions about privilege and inclusivity, and how inclusivity does not happen without myth-busting, struggle, and intention. Sarah is passionate about helping allies learn to ally and making the world a better place for LGBTQI+ people.