A U.S. Army vet was rejected from multiple elder care homes. She says it's because she's transgender. Lisa Oakley loved living in Craig, Colorado. Deer roamed the backyard, and every summer, she and a buddy would take her 16-foot camp boat out on the reservoir, where they'd fish for pike and smallmouth bass. In recent years, diabetes complications had curtailed her outdoors activities, but in a city four miles from end to end, she still reveled in Craig's small-town friendliness. She felt at home. More than that, she felt accepted. Last year, when she became unable to care for herself alone, Oakley, a U.S. Army veteran, hoped to live at Craig's local long-term care facility and remain in the community where she'd felt comfortable for 25 years. Instead, she was denied placement and not just there, but at dozens of long-term care facilities statewide. To Oakley and her advocates, the reason for many of those rejections was simple – and illegal: Because she's transgender. The case, advocates say, illustrates both the challenges that LGBT elders face as they age and require long-term care – issues destined to escalate as the elder LGBT population grows. It also shows, they say, that existing protections aren’t enough, underscoring the importance of passing the federal Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. Tap the link in bio to read the full story by USA TODAY's Marc Ramirez. Photo by Dylan Brown. Note: This is a subscribers only story. For $1/week, you can have unlimited access to USA TODAY journalism that matters to you and your community.