Rep. Josh Gottheimer (DN.J.) announced new legislation this week, it would help combat elder abuse against LGBTQ Americans by establishing a task force within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to focus on solutions to the problem.
Gottheimer shared news of the bill while hosting a roundtable discussion with organizations and advocates in North Jersey’s LGBTQ community. The legislation, dubbed the “Senior Pride Protection Act,” was developed with Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.). Both are members of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
If the bill passes, it would require the attorney general to establish a DOJ task force made up of members of the Elder Justice Initiative and the Office of Civil Rights, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source said the task force’s duties would include studying the rise in incidents of elder abuse in the LGBTQ community. It would also develop a national approach to combat the problem and would be committed to finding best practices so that local and state officials can address the problem on their own.
The group would also create and distribute resources and materials on how to prevent and respond to incidents when abuse occurs, according to the source. The force would compile reports and keep a record of progress, which it would share with members of Congress.
“We know that elderly members of the LGBTQ+ community face abuse across our country, but their voices are not being heard,” Gottheimer said Friday. “The reality is that organizations and government agencies are not monitoring these painful attacks.”
“My new legislation is a critical step to ensure we can coordinate our response to this out-of-control abuse at the federal level,” he added.
The New Jersey Democrat said the idea for the project came from conversations he had at last year’s roundtable that took place in Fort Lee, NJ.
“We actually take what we discussed here, or in my office, and act accordingly,” Gottheimer said.
Many LGTBQ seniors report challenges like dealing with a diminished support system and loneliness, the data shows, but others face abuse that sometimes goes unreported.
A study by the National Center on Elder Abuse, released in 2021, found that 68 percent of seniors surveyed in the LGBTQ community had experienced verbal harassment and 43 percent had been threatened with violence. In another survey, according to the release, 65 percent of people aged 60 and over reported having dealt with victimization due to their sexual orientation, while 29 percent said they had been physically assaulted.
“No one should be mistreated based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, especially our vulnerable elderly populations,” Gottheimer said. “This legislation is a critical step toward ensuring we can coordinate our response to this uncontrolled abuse at the federal level.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
