Elderberries Library: 2010-08-15 Elders Meeting

Elders Potluck. 2010-08-15, Spencer House, Halifax. Hal, Patricia, Anita, Anthony, Austin, Dan, Gabe, Nick, Tumas, Wil, Rick, Leonard Preyra, Howard, Robert, Hugo Dann, Heather, Lynn Murphy, Bill, Debbie Dostal of Spencer House

What are the things we’d like to do, get involved in?

Patricia: Sundays are largely spoken for. Communal meetings for unattached, are useful. Use word of mouth to spread the word about this group. Twenty years ago I was a Thursday cook here! What are we here for? We are here to enhance the life of the people here.
Anita: there’s a lot of people in closets in the country. How do we reach them? And the disabled? Computer literacy/communications issues
Hal: many have been crushed and didn’t do well economically.
Anthony: lots of seniors are coming out recently. Times have changed. Housing authority deals with lots of diversity, including older Transgender clients seeking housing.
Austin: I’m just getting started
Dan: social meetings will allow other groups to be created; early meeting could be about easy to reach computer resources. Sharing a meal is important, social occasions lead to discussion to activism. CAP site.
Gabe: go out as a group of gay men and women to have fun; e.g. peggy’s Cove, the Citadel,
Nick: social meetings which will exchange ideas which can be built on. Outings, getting together for entertainment, a movie. What is there for our increasing age group for help that’s available when we’re no longer able to help ourselves, an old age home? LM: co op housing? Nick: or old folk’s home
Tuma: as one of the younger ones, what can we all contribute? I’ll offer whatever I can. Doing outreach. What is this group for? What are we supposed to talk about? Nick and I have lesbian friends who have just opened a nursing home in Ontario. Social events which spill off will go a long way. Learning about the history and finding a place to publish that. Young man from my reserve, “Thank you for being open. It made it easier for me to come out.”
Robert: Thank you to everyone here!
Leonard: community centre, emerging health policy issues, seniors housing. I have a good location for future meetings. Importance of civic engagement, government looking for people to sit on boards and planning commissions.
Howard: social get togethers, going to the theatre,
Deborah Dostal: you’re welcome to continue meeting here [SpencerHouse]. This is a CAP site as well, for accessing the Internet.
Robert: I’m going to sit and listen.
Hugo: NSRAP would like to be involved with this group. E.g. continuing to print posters, etc. NSRAP will raise *any* issues relevant to the LGBT community. More now working on social equality. We are the largest cultural minority in the province and deserve recognition, including telling our history. Currently working on lgbt friendly certification of senior care for Nova Scotia. Health Committee currently focusing on transgender health but could take on other issues, ie. Gay Men’s health, Lesbian health; also possibly immigration and refugee issues; again, preserving our community’s heritage. NSRAP can also offer Hugo’s time for organizing things, and ASL interpretation for events.
Hal: perhaps we / EGALE could join the Group Of Nine to make it the Group Of Ten.
Heather: internet access, social outings, longterm care – Northwood is appalling –
Lynn: keen on workshops and presentations. Wills, grieving – we have unique issues, people with disabilities who are isolated, black community, history: we are the elders, when we’re gone there will be no one to tell the story of what it was like before lgbt rights! Especially, what it was like to be in the lgbt community here in the Maritimes, these stories need to be preserved.
Bill: everyone wants to get together socially. We need to focus on one or two things. Increasing membership would be useful; Wayves could help promote the events.

Next Event

Third Sunday of the Month. September 19th, October 17th for tea in the afternoon, at Spencer House, 2pm – 5pm. Hal, Heather, Anita, Dan, Nick, Hugo ex officio, Rick.
Planning meeting: Hal’s place, between Saege 5881 Spring Garden Road, scroll down to “Walsh”