St. Petersburg – METRO Health, Wellness and Community announced the launch of SAGE Tampa Bay in a press release Nov. 2.
SAGE, or Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender older adults, according to their website.
SAGE has been providing support, services and programs since 1978 for elder LGBT people and now the Tampa Bay area joins Detroit as the 28th and 29th SAGE affiliates nationwide.
“We are excited to work with other SAGE Affiliates across the nation to better serve our community,” METRO chief executive officer Lorraine Langlois said in a press release. “This designation propels our services on a national scale.”
For the past several years, METRO has been offering a variety of social and health services to the LGBT elder community. Support groups, social events, free legal advice, counseling, chair yoga, Friendly Visitor Program and primary care services are available at both the St. Pete and Tampa Centers.
With an estimated 1.6 LGBT older adults today and an expectation of that number doubling by 2030, the “Baby Boomer” generation is the first generation to be living openly in large numbers.
“We will make a difference in the lives of every LGBT older person in every community in this country,” SAGE executive director Michael Adams said in a statement.
There will be an official launch event held at the St. Pete METRO LGBT Center Dec. 3. Co-founder of SAGE National Chris Almvig will give the keynote address on the history of SAGE. For more information about SAGE Tampa Bay, visit www.metrotampabay.org.
