Montreal Gazette

Group offers LGBT seniors a place to be themselves

Lunch and discussion planned for Friday, any and all welcomed to attend

- The 50+ Seniors LGBTQ group lunch and discussion is at the West Island Seniors Centre, accessed via the church’s parking lot, 202 Woodside Rd. in Beaconsfie­ld, Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVP to Casey, 514-826-3541 or wirainbows­eniors@gmail.com. kgre

It’s tough enough being a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgende­r teen. If you are a closeted LGBT senior, you might need to multiply tough by 10.

Beaconsfie­ld United Church is launching a new 50+ Seniors LGBTQ (the “Q” stands for “Questionin­g”) group at its West Island Rainbow Seniors Centre with a lunch and activities discussion on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Beaconsfie­ld United Church, led by Reverend Shaun Fryday, is an affirming congregati­on that welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgende­r members.

Its thriving LGBTQ Youth group opened in May 2011 and had more than 800 teens participat­e in activities over the past year.

The adult group is growing, but “adult” covers a lot of territory. A 25-year-old doesn’t necessaril­y share the same interests as a 70-year-old.

Retired psychiatri­c nurse Shar- on Hill, 62, is a member of the board responsibl­e for establishi­ng the seniors centre.

She joined the adult LGBTQ group a little over a year ago after Claire, her partner of 19 years, died. She was drowning in her grief and couldn’t move forward with her life.

“I didn’t find (the first visit to the adult group) difficult or uncomforta­ble,” Hill said. “We shared our stories and had so much in common. I can come here and be who I am and spend time with other people like me.”

Beaconsfie­ld United Church director of programs Cindy Casey acknowledg­es that not all seniors are comfortabl­e about coming out to new friends.

“Some seniors can be nasty,” Casey said. “When they grew up, homosexual­ity was taboo.”

In 1967, Everett George Klippert was the last man in Canada to be arrested and jailed for being a homosexual. Klippert appealed his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but the appeal was dismissed.

The dismissal caused an uproar in Parliament and the law decriminal­izing homosexual­ity was passed in 1969.

Hall said it’s particular­ly difficult for LGBTQ seniors who have relocated to a seniors residence and don’t know how people will respond to their orientatio­n.

“They don’t need to feel isolated,” Hall said. “Here they can be themselves, without being judged.”

Hall came out to her work friends and family in her early 50s. It was not easy. She remembers shaking like a leaf when she had the conversati­on with her family, but both family and friends embraced her news.

 ??  ?? Members of the 50+ LGBTQ community gather to talk with Cindy Casey, fourth from left, at Beaconsfie­ld United Church on Thursday.
Members of the 50+ LGBTQ community gather to talk with Cindy Casey, fourth from left, at Beaconsfie­ld United Church on Thursday.

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