Michael Adams

Michael Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of SAGE, the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers, advocates for public policy reforms, and provides training and technical assistance through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, National LGBTQ+ Elder Housing Initiative, and SAGECare credentialing program for elder providers. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates a growing network of partners in the United States through SAGECollab and works in solidarity with LGBTQ+ aging advocates in numerous countries across the globe.

Prior to joining SAGE, Adams was the Director of Education and Public Affairs for Lambda Legal. Previously, he spent a decade leading cutting edge litigation that established new rights for LGBTQ+ people, first as Litigation Director of the ACLU’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, and then as Deputy Legal Director at Lambda Legal.

A graduate of Stanford Law School and Harvard College, Adams has authored numerous publications on LGBTQ+ issues. He has taught law school courses on sexual orientation and gender identity and has served on advisory councils for AARP, the American Society on Aging, and the New York City Department for the Aging among others. He is also the former Chair of the American Society on Aging.