Ottawa Senior Pride Network

The network is made up of professional service providers, representatives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community organizations who work with seniors, and a community group of seniors who are 50 and older.

Members of the network include:

Centretown Community Health Centre

City of Ottawa Long Term Care

Good Companions

First United Church

Gay Men’s Wellness Project

Lesbian Information Xchange (LIX)

Ottawa Community Support Coalition

Ottawa Interfaith Council on Aging

Pink Triangle Services

Prime Timers

Rainbow Coffee Group

SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment)

Their goal: to create gay-, bisexual- and transgender-friendly services and residential environments for seniors, and develop a strong, connected and visible queer seniors’ community in Ottawa.

2001: 1 in 8 65 years or over

2026: 1 in 5 65 years or over

They were young adults in their early 20s when:

1950s

The Canadian federal government rooted out gays and lesbians from Canada’s military and civil service. Gay and lesbian people outside the public service were also targeted if they were connected to anything that dealt with sensitive issues.

1960s

The “fruit machine” was used to monitor eye movement and nerve impulses to determine sexual orientation. It is estimated that by 1968 the federal government had “purged” 9,000 homosexuals.

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