SIGN THE PLEDGE

 OLDER LGBTQI PEOPLE CALL TO ACTION

Due to a lifetime of experiencing different forms of oppressions including homophobia, heterosexism, transphobia, sexism, and ageism, older LGBTQI persons are less likely than heterosexual and/or cisgender (non-trans) older persons to access support from non-LGBTQI health service providers, and other types of social support programs because they fear discrimination and sexual harassment.

By submitting my name, I, in respect of older Persons of Diverse Sexualities, Gender Identities, and Bodies (LGBTQI), pledge:

  • To recognise the full enjoyment of all human rights of older LGBTQI persons without any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, diverse bodies, sex characteristics, and HIV status;
  • To respect the right to freedom of expression and opinion of older LGBTQI persons as well as their right to personal liberty and a full, independent and autonomous life;
  • To ensure LGBTQI older persons’ right to privacy and intimacy to the fullest extent of my ability;
  • To safeguard the rights of older LGBTQI persons to general and sexual health as well as financial, housing, social and legal supports which attend and respond to their individual needs to the fullest extent of my ability;
  • To stop physical, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse and to empower older LGBTQI persons to safeguard their physical, emotional, psychological and sexual wellbeing to the fullest extent of my ability;
  • To pursue practices that prevent the abandonment, negligence, and isolation of older LGBTQI persons and encourage their full social inclusion and participation within an enabling environment to the fullest extent of my ability; and
  • To promote older LGBTQI person’s participation in intergenerational activities that strengthen solidarity and mutual support.

The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and the Working Group on Older LGBTQI People are seeking to improve awareness through new learnings of the inequalities experienced by older LGBTQI persons and build expertise to create solutions.  Part of this awareness campaign is a formal Call to Action, which has been developed in partnership with SAGE and Egale Canada Human Rights Trust.  This Call to Action is grounded on the principles on the Inter-American Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons and will be formally presented at the IFA 2018 14th Global Conference on Ageing 8-10 August 2018, Toronto, Canada.