Gay & Gray

BY KENDRA HENSON-STROUD

here will we go when
we’re old and gay?
Many of us may dream

of being lucky enough and in good
enough health to travel the world to
see exotic places, join a queer RV
convoy and tour the United States,
or maybe we yearn to cozy up in a
cabin in the woods, just listening to
the crickets chirping outside the
window. Ah, it all sounds so won-
derful! When can I retire??

My grandparents have
recently moved from Illinois to a
lovely retirement community on the
gulf coast of Florida where they
have made many new friends and
are part of a new community. lt’s
one of those “instant community” _
situations. like when you live in a N
college dorm, or at Girl Scout
camp.

My grandparents’ retire-
ment community features social
activities such as boating, fishing,

._s,wini_,ming, and of course the old

standards: coffee klatch, shuffle-
board and bingo. These activities
are a way for them to gather and
talk about what’s going on in their
lives and in the lives of others’.

Neighbors here seem to
pull together as a community in
times of trouble. When a neighbor
is in the hospital or loses a loved
one. casseroles, cards, and visits
become part of the community
activity. The residents here have
reached a point in their lives where
it’s of ultimate importance to care
for each other and look out for one
another. They feel safe here.

A majority of the U.S.
population is aging during a time
when gay and lesbian issues are
becoming gay and lesbian rights.
Some pieces of queer culture are
slowly being seen as queer, as in
“peculiar," culture and not queer as
in “Oh my God there’s something
wrong with you!” culture. There is
a quickly growing need for retire-
ment communities for the lgbt pop-

‘ulation.

Millions of gay men, les-
bians. bisexuals and transgender
individuals are in the mix of the
baby boomers who are currently
between the ages of 39 and 57. As
this portion of our population ages,
more and more retirement commu-
nities featuring a spectrum of care
will be needed. This type of com-
munity will be especially important
to the queer population so that we
will have safe places in which to

grow older together.

While there are no retire-
ment communities in Vermont
aimed specifically at the lgbt popu-
lation, they are beginning to spring
up in warmer climates. Many of the
lgbt communities that are now
under construction have long been
in the planning process. These
communities range in price, level

_ of care, and in the type of housing.

A few of the communities I
researched seem very much like
resort-style living, which can be
pretty spendy.

One of these communi-
ties, Rainbow Vision Resort
Retirement Community in Santa
Fe, New Mexico is slated to open
sometime in 2005. This community
is marketed for the “gay and gray”
and will offer three different
options for housing, ranging from
independent living apartments
(rents from $2,300 to $3, I00 per
month) through assisted living
rentals (on-site medication manage-
ment, help with daily living activi-
ties, plus meals for $3,100 to
$4,100 per month). ,

' The third housing option
available at Rainbow Visions is
condo ownership. The 40 condo-
minium units will sell for an aver-
age price of $235,00 with monthly
maintenance fees projected to be
about $300. Condo owners will
have use of all community facili-
ties. plus the fitness center, spa, and
wellness services. Rainbow Vision
began taking reservations in June
(www.rainbowvisionprop.com).

Another community tak-
ing shape in the Santa Fe area is
called Birds of a Feather Resort
Community, Inc. It will consist. of
half- and full-acre lots on over 100
acres of land that can be purchased
for home-building. The lots are
priced from $53,000 to $125,000.

Birds of a Feather’s web
page states that they initially were
planning on being a community of
women, but cannot legally exclude
anyone. The community will be
geared, they say, toward people
wishing to live “harmoniously in a
non-traditional community” and
will be a place for active adults
who wish for a place to “live, play,
belong, and grow older with friends
and neighbors.” Plans for a com-
munity center including hobby
rooms,,library, and community
kitchen are in the works (see
www.fl0cl(2it.com).‘

Parkside Gay Male
Retirement Center in Akron, Ohio
seems like a more sterile, private

 

environment than the other commu-
nities. It features fully furnished
rooms running from $350-$490 per
week. The amenities include an all-
male staff, three meals a day in a
shared dining room, a fitness and
tanning gym, and a theatre featur-
ing queer films. The tour on the
website shows hotel-style rooms
with mirrored walls and a grand
piano in the reception area. The
rooms are available only as singles
(so gay male couples are S.O.L.
unless they get adjoining rooms),
and visitors are welcome only dur-
ing visiting hours. There’s no
assisted living, but hospitals and
physicians are easily accessible
from their location. Further infor-
mation on this facility can be found
at www.gay-retirement.com.

Gay and lesbian retire-
ment communities in Florida such
as the Palms of Manasota in
Palmetto, Florida are beginning to
take shape, as are support groups
for gay and lesbian seniors. The
Palms’ website is currently under
construction, (www.palmsofmana-
sota.com), but the community con-
sists of mostly stucco-style homes
together in a village. This village
claims to be America’s first gay
and lesbian retirement community
and was originally founded and
funded by a gay senior, the late Bill
Laing.

Trips to the theater and
potlucks for new neighbors are a
consistent part of the activities
there. I am definitely going to have
to visit this one next time I’m in
Florida visiting my grandparents in
their community (and I think I’ll
bring them with me — they may get
some ideas to help perk their place
up a bit!).

I for one am very excited
to see how these retirement com-
munities targeted to our population
turn out. I’m just imagining the
“gayed up” version of coffee
klatch, and many of us have experi-
enced and love drag bingo. What
could be more fabulous than a
queer retirement communityl? V

Look for part 2- the Vermont
scene next month . . .

Kendra Henson-Stroud is a 30-
something lesbian who lives and
writes in Burlington

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