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Supporting Our LGBTQ? Friends and Neighbors: An Introduction to Allyship

Program from February 11, 2026

Click below to see the presentation slides including numerous resources.

Also click below to see links to biographies of Women Over 70 who identify as LGBTQ?.

​Resources provided by Women Over 70-Aging Reimagined: podcast guest interviews and their publications.                

To access an episode: www.womenover70.com > podcast > search by guest > type in  full name > enter

  • Terry Baum (ep. 227) collaborates with Carolyn Myers- Pioneers in Lesbian feminist theatre. Founder of Lilith, Women’s Theatre Collective in San Francisco. Author: One Dyke's Theater: Selected Plays, 1975-2014 (2019). 

 

  • Wendy Cole (ep.  304) Born transgender, Wendy fully stepped into her life as an affirmed woman in 2015 at age 67. She is a Gender Diversity Consultant who helps individuals and groups, agencies, businesses, and organizations navigate evolving social landscapes through education and training on transgender and LGBTQ+ issues. Podcast co-host: Demystifying the Transgender Journey.  https://www.youtube.com/@wendycole8326 

 

  • Jane Fleishman (ep. 325)  is a writer, an award-winning educator, sexuality researcher, and AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator. Author of The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging (2020).

 

  • Illana Landsberg-Lewis (ep. 369)  is an impact-driven feminist leader with more than three decades of experience advancing justice and dignity across movements, geographies, and sectors. In January 2026, Illana became CEO of Rainbow Railroad, a global not-for-profit organization that helps at risk LGBTQI+ people get to safety worldwide. https://www.rainbowrailroad.org

 

  • Nancy Manahan (ep. 118), a former nun, lives with her wife in an intentional lesbian community of 500 women, Carefree, FL.  Author of On My Honor: Lesbians Reflecting on Their Scouting Experience (1997/rev. 2021); Author with R. K. Curb, Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence (1985/rev. 2013).

 

  • Jane Traies (ep. 146) Writer, researcher, storyteller and oral historian, Jane has been recording the life histories of the oldest generations of lesbians in the UK. Author of Now You See Me: Lesbian Life Stories (2018); Author of The Lives of Older Lesbians: Sexuality, Identity, and the Life Course (2016).

Arbor West Neighbors

Arbor West Neighbors (AWN) is a grassroots organization of neighbors in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Austin connected to support and enrich aging through community building and advocacy. Our mission is to empower adults to thrive as we age in community. 

 

Our vision is to build a multi-ethnic, multicultural community where all older adults are valued, age with dignity, and enjoy opportunities for growth and engagement. 

We are an all-volunteer 501(c)3 organization with over 120 members. 

About Us

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