On Feb. 20, Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) hosted its second annual LGBTQ+ Senior Summit at John C. Anderson Apartments to honor the lives and work of prominent community elder activists, and to draw attention to important elder resources and services offered by the city and state.
The event was kicked off by Wanda Mitchell, Director of Community Engagement at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), who served as host and emcee for the proceedings. She welcomed the overflow crowd, and spoke a few words about the contributions of the community’s elders, and the importance of making sure that the needs and issues of all elders are acknowledged and addressed.
Next to speak was Martin Alfaro, PGN’s Associate Publisher, who welcomed the attendees and spoke about PGN’s continuing commitment to addressing the issues of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ seniors. The first major speaker was Jack Eilber, Deputy Communications Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. He spoke about the history of the state’s support of the LGBTQ+ community, including its seniors, citing the 2018 creation of the Governer’s Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, the first of its kind in the nation. He spoke about how the state’s current governor, Josh Shapiro, is committed to continuing the support of the community on the state level and about the services and programs the state has for those issues.
“Thank you to the trailblazers in the LGBTQ community, from Stonewall, through the AIDS epidemic, to today,” said Eilber, expressing appreciation to seniors, citing the progress the community has made over the years.
Awards of recognition were given to prominent community members in recognition of their long years of activism and community-building. Individuals honored were Mary Groce and Suz Atlas, in appreciation of their long years of service. The couple has been together for more than three decades and started a newsletter at John C. Anderson Apartments nearly seven years ago to keep residents informed about both community happenings and events throughout the city. William Ways LGBT Community Center’s John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives has added the periodicals to its collection, and now the Smithsonian Institution is following suit. The National Museum of American History Archives Center holds a copy of each edition.
The organizational award went to the Elder Initiative at the William Way LGBT Community Center. The Elder Initiative began in 2010 as the LGBT Elder Initiative before merging with William Way in 2020 to streamline resources for LGBTQ+ older adults and those affected by HIV. Accepting the award was Ed Miller, the program’s coordinator. Miller called it “a vital program — one of the several empowerment programs at WWCC.” Miller spoke appreciatively of the partnerships the Initiative has forged with many of the city’s LGBTQ and senior organizations beyond WWCC, notably PCA and SAGE.
“We all have an obligation to support our LGBTQ elders,” Miller said during his speech.
The final speaker was Sharlene Waller, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Commission on Aging in Philadelphia. She reiterated the city’s and the mayor’s support for efforts to provide for the needs of seniors, and described many of the services in place for community elders.
The John C. Anderson Apartments, Philadelphia’s LGBTQ-affirming senior living center, was the first such facility built in the U.S. PGN Publisher Mark Segal was instrumental in spearheading the project to get the facility built. It has subsequently served as a model for similar facilities in several other U.S. cities.
For photos of the LGBTQ+ Senior Summit, check out Scene In Philly.