The Trump administration is proposing to remove LGBT questions from the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP), an annual federal survey that informs the use of billions of dollars for a range of supportive services for elders in the U.S. This erasure would eliminate the collection of essential information about the needs and experiences of LGBT older adults.
The NSOAAP collects information about services including senior centers, home-delivered meals, caregiver support, and transportation. The survey data is used to measure the impact of government-funded services and to inform future funding decisions. Questions about sexuality were added to the survey in 2014 to better understand how LGBT older adults were utilizing services. Removing this question is the only change that the administration has proposed to the survey.
A 60-day public comment period on the proposed survey is currently underway. Advocates are encouraged to contact the administration during this period to discourage them from erasing LGBT elders. The public comment period will end on May 12, 2017.
SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) has launched a national effort to oppose this change to the survey. They have created a template letter that can easily be sent to President Trump, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Administration on Community Living. Click here to send a letter!
Read more coverage about the proposed change here:
Associated Press: “Federal Surveys Trim LGBT Questions, Alarming Advocates”
The Advocate: “Who Would Go After LGBT Elders? The Trump Administration”
The Body: “Trump Administration Proposes to Eliminate LGBT Questions in Elder Survey”
The Guardian: “LGBT Seniors Marked for Removal from Survey on Elder Care Services“