The Coalition for Aging, LGBT (DFW), LGBT Elders Caught in the Cross-Fire with “Fairness Ft. Worth,” City of Dallas, and the Human Rights Campaign

Dallas, TX, October 05, 2015 --(PR.com)-- As has been reported in various news sources, for the 2015 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) scoring from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) the City of Dallas will possibly earn bonus points for them working with the Coalition for Aging, LGBT (DFW) in creating events and services to the aging LGBT residents in the City of Dallas. The Coalition for Aging, LGBT (DFW) has worked tirelessly in the past year to forge a relationship with the City of Dallas to serve the elder LGBT residents in the city. The Coalition is grateful to the strong support of Ms. Cheryl Orr, Diversity and Ethics Officer for the City of Dallas for moving this relationship forward. Creating controversy over this progress with discussions of the timing of reporting possible MEI scoring outcomes from HRC could minimize future progress for the entire LGBT community, particularly placing elder LGBT at risk, and frankly lacks a true understanding to the complex needs of our aging LGBT community. The Coalition cannot simply watch this controversy escalate with such significant entities, while our elders will ultimately bear a full and direct force of the outcome. The timing of when information was reported in open-municipal meetings by a city employee is trivial to the challenges the more than 100K aging LGBT members of Dallas and Tarrant Counties face every single day.

The Coalition implores all parties to come together for a solution that will move elder care in both Dallas and Ft. Worth to step level improvements. The Coalition extends an enthusiastic welcome to “Fairness Ft. Worth” for allowing The Coalition to partner with them in creating an environment where aging LGBT members of Ft. Worth have access to programs and city services.

The Coalition implores the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to move forward with the positive impact by the scoring for Dallas, TX – this is huge progress for the aging LGBT residents of Dallas. This progress is clearly in part to HRC adding bonus points to the MEI for a city working to serve elder LGBT. The Coalition is grateful to HRC for this inclusion and lives will be improved.

The Coalition for Aging, LGBT (DFW) Board Chair Cannon Flowers commented: “We are concerned about the entire LGBT community in North Texas and possible set-backs these conversations will do to all LGBT residents of both Dallas and Ft. Worth. Our particular mission focus and expertise is on the aging LGBT residents of North Texas. The Coalition will reach out to Fort Worth and other cities in North Texas to develop programs for the LGBT elders. It is sad that this conversation is happening at the expense of our elder LGBT residents. It would be very unfortunate for the City of Dallas to lose any momentum in developing its relationship and/or services for the aging LGBT residents due to this situation and firestorm caused by this unfortunate sequence of events. We all need to turn this around today and make this something that is very good for Dallas, Ft. Worth, the Human Rights Campaign and most important for all LGBT residents whom The Coalition are all committed to serving.”