Visibility Matters
LGBTQI+ Older Adults Need to Process Hate Crimes Too
By Sarah Bahnson , LGBTQI+ Community Liaison
So. AZ Senior Pride celebrating, supporting and uniting LGBTQI+ older adults (520) 312-8923; info@soazseniorpride. org; soazseniorpride.org All in-person, indoor events require masks. Hate crime victims include not only the crime’s immediate target but also others like them. Hate crimes affect families, communities,” and the larger community receives the message: your life is not valuable. Beginning in the last few minutes of November 19th, 2022, a mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQI+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado ended the lives of five people and injured 25 people. It was a mass shooting targeting LGBTQI+ people, much like the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, which killed 49 and injured 53 people. But violent crimes targeting specific communities have a much farther reach, impacting not only those directly involved in the attack but the larger community, in this case, the LGBTQI+ community. Bias-motivated crimes, or hate crimes, are particularly detrimental because of that fact. According to the Department of Justice, hate crimes “have a broader effect than most other kinds of crime.
On-going events: Registration is required for attendance - soazseniorpride.org GBTQI+ Mens Loss Group ; weekly on Tuesday; 1:30–3pm; in-person Gayme Day; second Wednesday; 1–3pm; in-person • any or enough comfortable seating • adaptive devices for hearing and visual impairments • transportation options for older adults who cannot drive or cannot drive at night Protests, vigils, and other types of gatherings help the larger community process the pain of receiving such a message. Yet gatherings intended to help the community heal can be inaccessible to people experiencing mobility issues, chronic pain, and/or other types of disabilities commonly experienced by older adults. Due to a history of discrimination, meeting spaces for LGBTQI+ communities are dependent on where one lives and are frequently limited to bars and nightclubs. These spaces can be challenging for older adults looking for solace in their community. Meeting spaces may not offer:
LGBTQI+ older adults disproportionately report the effects of isolation. Those who find it difficult to participate in much-needed community support in the aftermath of a hate crime risk exacerbating negative health outcomes of isolation and minority stress. Tools and support for aging, like friendly visits and phone calls, transportation services, suicide prevention, and counseling become paramount to the well-being of LGBTQI+ older adults. To learn more about community support for LGBTQI+ older adults contact: • PCOA’s Helpline at (520) 790-7262 • Southern Arizona Senior Pride at (520) 312-8923 • Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988
Book Club ; third Wednesday; 2–3:30p; on Zoom Gathering in Himmel Park ; third Saturday; 10–11:30am; in-person Walk and Roll - Enjoy an outdoor activity with friendly people; third Tuesday; time will vary; in-person There are more events each month. Stay tuned in on the website.
Page 26 | January 2023, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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