Professor Nancy Knauer presented her work on LGBT aging and elders to the Massachusetts LGBT Aging Commission, the first statewide commission nationally to focus on the needs of LGBT seniors. Her presentation came at the invitation of the Commission and, as a leading authority on the subject, Professor Knauer was given the floor for the entire time allotted to the day’s events. The session, which was open to the public, was held at the Massachusetts Statehouse.
Knauer, who also teaches and serves as the Director of Law and Public Policy Programs at Temple Law, has been credited with helping to establish LGBT elder law as a field of inquiry. Her book, Gay and Lesbian Elders: History, Law, and Identity Politics in the United States (Ashgate 2011) has been referred to as the “bible” for advocates, legislators, and activists working on behalf of this particularly vulnerable population.
“Professor Knauer has clearly distinguished herself as a national expert on issues facing the LGBTQ community as we age,” remarked Scott Squillace, who serves on the Massachusetts Commission. “Professor Knauer’s presentation was both comprehensive and entertaining and helped us put in historical context the reason for many of the struggles we were hearing about through our public hearing process. We are enormously grateful for her contributions to our work.”