2010-04-18 GatheringOfLGBTElders

On April 18, 2010, The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project (NSRAP) presented A Gathering of LGBT Elders at The Company House.

Questions to be addressed: if you are LGBT & 50+, what are the issues that matter most to you? Preserving Nova Scotia's LGBT history? Health care and affordable housing? Retirement planning? Social events & making new friends? NSRAP wanted to hear from you! There were light refreshments, good discussion and friendly people.

Photo album: http://bonmot.ca/~daniel/2010-04-18_GatheringOfLGBTElders/

Hosted by the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project; Facilitator Lynn Murphy

Regrets: JJ Lyons, Ross Boutlier, Kath Cure, Doug Dixon ADD REMAINDER OF REGRETS HERE PLEASE

Hugo: "Cultural Competency Training" for staff of homes. NS Dept of Seniors, Northwood

Attending: ca. 34 people: Lynn Murphy, Matt Numer: Chair NSRAP, Anita Martinez, Debbie Mathers, Jackie McMann, Marion Divon, Bob Frederickson, Robin Metcalfe Cinnebang Thedi, Lois Lohan, Andre, Al Stewart, Mike Sangster, Howard & Hal, Gary Brooks, Angus Campbell, Larry Baxter Daniel MacKay, Randall Perry, Bridgit, Harry McGeen, Philip McLean, Lee Christophers, Lnicki, Sue, Jennifer, Bill McKinnon, Brian Mombourquette, Lisa, Lucas, Brenda Hattie NS Centre on Aging, Megan Sred, Juan Kelly,

Brainstorming: Purpose: Identify the four top issues to the LGBT community: e.g health, history, social events, etc

• recorded history
• Perception that the history project is well under way
• glbt aging has been talked about for a long time with no action
• how to live in an elder care facility and not go back into a closet
• Toronto and Vancouver have tried this - it hasn't worked.
• St John's United is restructuring their facilities - a church with an attach assisted living centre for elders, possibly GLBTs, in partnership with St Vincent's Guest House. The facility *must* be in accordance with Affirming . A cooperative facility (but not among the residents) possibly with government, St Vincent's Guest House; it needs to be about 30-32 people to be viable.
• Senior abuse is rampant; only regulations keep the existing guest houses from serving Kraft Dinner three times a day.
• meeting place / activity centre, seminars, intellectual activities, combo of organized & unorganized activities. would there be enough people to make
• SAGE:
• The other cultural centres do not have the problems of the members being closeted and being repressed - we have a different problem.
• Would love to have a bunch of queers living together, having queers come into your house to do pcw
• Queer homecare / PCW service
• Activity Centre:

Four ideas

• assisted living centres
• queer friendly home care
• community centre / activities, activities that are not necessarily centralized, outdoor
• history: idea that the history project is well under way - it is not

Topics From Other Groups

 (each | represents one mention) 

• | Education & awareness of all healthcare providers, from the GPs and specialists to CCAs
• | Queer activities in Long Term Care Facilities
• | Physical evidence of queer friendliness
• | Education & awareness of Trans issues - medical care
• | Entertainment options - cable TV stations - do long term are facilities have OutTV?
• | Shuttles to major queer events
• | Understanding of sexuality & seniors, Circle Jerks for Seniors
• | Computer & internet use: are longterm care facilities OK with that? Chat lines?
• | Senior Care Co-ops for queers, the size of a B&B
• | Housing: LGBT aware and friendly
• | Accessible housing
• | Not ghettoized
• | make it obvious that discrimination is not tolerated and is recognized as real discrimination
• | want to know what's happening via Wayves, OWL, electronic forums
• | rural areas: more homophobia and heterosexism
• | within the community, there's ageism; most events are geared towards the younger population
• | get more older people in Wayves
• | LGBT commnity: concern about financial security: some events are unavailable for financially strapped people
• | Awareness of our rights
• | Advocacy
• | Accessing the spiritual etc. needs
• | Education of the whole caregiving team
• | Integration with queers and straights, and are in contact with different ages, we get to choose that.
• | Intergenerational dialog / cultural continuity
• | Healthy & Diverse meeting spaces, not oriented around alcohol

Action Plan: Cultural Activities

• of all of the groups, our group is the easiest
• shut-down of the Over 30s
  • was that it grew too big
  • it was primarily male
  • it was great, and a great way to get to know people and a city
  • was run by just a few people for three decades
• SpencerHouse: Seniors House on Morris Street
  • have specifically welcomed the queer community
  • Traditionally: separation of men's and women's events
• many events have internalized ageism
  • photography club
  • games night: trivial pursuit, yahtzee, bridge, cards
  • walkers join the Front Runners on Saturday morning
  • reading group
  • The UU Church have a queer book discussion group
  • gay writer's group // journalling
  • information sessions: how to deal with wills // how to choose a nursing home // finances
  • death
  • food / recipe exchange
  • mountain biking
  • hiking
  • bowling night
  • movie night: showing movies / attending movies
  • history club
  • notice that most of these ideas involve being physically active
  • there are some activities existing, and we need to let people know what's going on
  • idea: a pot luck where people talk about existing social activities, like a "trade show"

Proposal:

• society / team / club to organize / promote social events

Actions:

• invite SAGE to do a presentation in Halifax?
• Pretend that we already had a SAGE chapter here in Halifax?
• Re start the pot lucks / Over 30s groups.
• Somehow philosophically work out the difference between lgbt ghetto and people wanting to spend time with their

SECOND Social Events Committee

• Get a couple of events
• Advertise: queer community magazines, Herald, Eastlink, the Manors, longterm care facilities
• Set up a event to bring people in to discuss what they want for themselves
• Get a model set up in Halifax since NSRAP is a Nova Scotia organization