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Storm system to exit US, leaving behind at least 39 dead and vast destruction from tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms; ME farmers, others hurt by USDA freeze on funding grants; SNAP, Medicaid cuts would strain PA emergency food system; Trash 2 Trends: Turning garbage into glamour to fight climate change.

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Secretary of State Rubio pledges more arrests like that of student activist Mahmoud Khalil. Former EPA directors sound the alarm on Lee Zeldin's deregulation plans, and lack of opportunity is pushing rural Gen Zers out of their communities.

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Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Champion of LGBTQ+ rights in OR wins volunteering award

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Monday, November 11, 2024   

A champion of rights for older LGBTQ+ people has received recognition for her volunteer work in Oregon.

Liz James is the winner of the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service, thanks to her engagement in a number of efforts to improve the health and equity of LGBTQ+ residents of the state. She said volunteering is a vital part of her life.

"Volunteering gives me purpose, social connection, opportunities to learn and grow, and to make a difference."

James lives in southern Oregon. She is chair of the Oregon LGBTQ+ Aging Coalition, chair of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments Joint Senior Advisory Council, and a volunteer with AARP Oregon.

James stressed LGBTQ+ people are not a monolith and they exist everywhere, not as a single community but many communities. She acknowledged there are specific health risks and needs for LGBTQ+ people and discrimination affects their living conditions. She added poverty and suicidal ideation are higher for them.

"Data shows we're twice as likely to be single and living alone," James noted. "We're more likely to be estranged from family. We're half as likely to have a relative to call. We're four times less likely to have children and almost one and a half times more likely to be primary caregivers."

James was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 99, which established a bill of rights in long-term and community-based care facilities for LGBTQ+ residents and residents living with HIV.

"First of all, it prescribes very specific nondiscrimination protections that have to be physically posted and provided to all residents and adhered to," James outlined. "And there is an accountability for violations built into it."

She added the bill requires training for staff in long-term care facilities. James is serving on the LGBTQ+ subcommittee of the Governor's Commission on Senior Services, which was established by Senate Bill 99 and started this year.

Disclosure: AARP Oregon contributes to our fund for reporting on Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Livable Wages/Working Families, and Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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