Dignity Denied: Religious Exemptions and LGBT Elder Services

LGBT older adults, like many older Americans in the United States, rely on a network of service providers as they age–for community programming and congregate meals, for health care, and for housing ranging from independent living to skilled nursing. Research finds that a majority of these services are offered by religiously affiliated organizations. While many of these religiously affiliated facilities provide quality care for millions of older adults, there is a coordinated effort to pass religious exemption laws, issue executive orders and agency guidance, and to litigate court cases to allow individuals, businesses, and even government contractors and grantees to use religion to discriminate. These laws are particularly worrisome for LGBT elders. Religious exemption laws jeopardize the security and safety of LGBT older adults at a time when they are most vulnerable and most in need. When providing health care and other elder-specific services, patients should always come first. This report provides an overview of the most concerning of these religious exemption laws and how they impact LGBT older adults. It is important to note, however, that many of these religious exemption laws have much broader impacts on various vulnerable communities, including LGBT people generally, women, single and unmarried parents, interfaith couples, and people of color

Dignity Denied: Religious Exemptions and LGBT Elder Services

LGBT older adults, like many older Americans in the United States, rely on a network of service providers as they age–for community programming and congregate meals, for health care, and for housing ranging from independent living to skilled nursing. Research finds that a majority of these services are offered by religiously affiliated organizations. While many of these religiously affiliated facilities provide quality care for millions of older adults, there is a coordinated effort to pass religious exemption laws, issue executive orders and agency guidance, and to litigate court cases to allow individuals, businesses, and even government contractors and grantees to use religion to discriminate. These laws are particularly worrisome for LGBT elders. Religious exemption laws jeopardize the security and safety of LGBT older adults at a time when they are most vulnerable and most in need. When providing health care and other elder-specific services, patients should always come first. This report provides an overview of the most concerning of these religious exemption laws and how they impact LGBT older adults. It is important to note, however, that many of these religious exemption laws have much broader impacts on various vulnerable communities, including LGBT people generally, women, single and unmarried parents, interfaith couples, and people of color

Policies Discriminatory of the LGBT Community: Do Social Workers Endorse Respect for the NASW Code of Ethics

There has been a dramatic increase in anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) state-level legislative initiatives during the past several years. Public policy bullying and discrimination toward LGBT adults and youths by state elected representatives is a concern to all who recognize the damaging effects of such bigotry. This study is a cross-sectional, exploratory descriptive survey designed to measure the degree of acceptance of the LGBT community and the degree to which respondents endorse respect of social work ethical standards in practice with the LGBT community among 235 social workers and future social workers in the state of Tennessee. Findings indicate that respondents have more positive than negative attitudes toward the LGBT population, yet a number still harbor opinions that are harmful to the LGBT community and impede their ability for affirmative, ethical practice at the individual or policy level. To address this need, a cultural competence and social justice approach is elaborated