Welcome to the dog days of August. One wonders, are dog days good things or bad things? What do dogs think? Are they flattered or offended? Should we take a poll?
Welcome to all the new folks who signed up for the newsletter at various Pride Events - thank you for touching base with us. If you haven't been receiving emails from the group, please email NancyTavery@comcast.net
Shout out to the August birthday doggies - Leos and Virgos enjoy your time!
Schedule of August events:
We continue to host a Friday zoom call from 4-5 to touch base with other older queer folk in the region and it helps us keep track of what day it is. 😉
Sunday, August 4th
The Spectrum Center is sponsoring a Summer Swim Bash
They’d really love to have members of our group show up!
Tuesday, August 6th Taco Tuesday at The Drinkery on Garland at 5PM. Angie’s Taco Truck should arrive shortly after 5PM.
Saturday, August 10, at 12:00 is our monthly potluck at UU Spokane. 4340 W. Whistalks Way. All are welcome to come and spend a couple of hours swapping stories, enjoying company, and lending support to each other. Set up at 11:30. Please bring a dish to share if you are able. Please rsvp to Nancy at nancytavery@comcast.net. It helps us know how many tables to set up.
Tuesday, August 13th Pinochle 4PM-7PM at SAN 715 E Sprague Ave #115, Spokane, WA 99202
Saturday, August 17th
It's time to celebrate our communities first Garland Pride. We are closing off Lincoln St, between Garland and Walton for vendors. There will be a stage with various LGBTQ+ entertainment, a pub crawl, giveaways, and all sorts of Pride themed fun! Vending hours are 2pm to 7pm, but are also somewhat flexible if need be. See Spokane Pride’s website for more information. Spokanepride.org
Wednesday, August 28, lunch out on the town. Stay tuned for details, which will be posted on Facebook, sent out via email, and on our website. Contact Hannah at rosebudhmd@hotmail.com to rsvp later this month.
Thursday, August 29, zoom steering committee, 4-5. Suggestions or attendance welcome. Contact Doug at dkb1049@gmail.com.
Many thanks to Hannah for organizing our summer ice cream social in Franklin Park last week. A creamy cone time was had by all.
LGBTQ+ Seniors of the Inland Northwest established an official presence at 4 area pride events - we had a booth with volunteers in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint. All events were well attended, fun and safe. We added a considerable number of interested folks to our mailing list.
Here are a few observations gleaned from the Pride events:
Visibility is key. Many people attending pride events are either not queer and/or not old. Several of them voiced surprise that there are older queer folks around! Statements like, " I am surprised that there are enough of you to form a group", or, " Why would you need to get together around being old and gay?", or, " What is there to talk about or do?". If we are not visible as elder queer citizens to others, gay or straight, we cannot make our presence and our needs known in the larger community.
The LGBTQ+ Seniors are virtually the only elder queer group in the Inland Northwest between Seattle and Missoula. The work we do is primarily social. Simply getting together to share ordinary stories, eating a meal, watching a movie, or playing a game is an important way to be connected. It is important because the number one issue for all seniors is the need to feel that we belong to a social group. It is particularly important to lgbtq+ seniors, who may not have a family of origin that they are a part of now.
We are establishing ourselves through consistent zoom calls, monthly pot lucks, pride event attendance and other activities as a viable entity. Participation in some way, as individuals are able, is critical to evolving our support system. No one else regionally is doing this in a queer senior inclusive way.
The LGBTQ+ community is at high risk. The current political climate nationally and regionally is divisive and often hostile to Queer Citizens. The Republican agenda is relentless in its attempt to demonize members of our community and to deny established rights as ordinary citizens. Sadly, they are having a lot of success. Silence and invisibility will not create safety or comfort at this point. Speak up, show up and vote. There really is no other option.
Your Steering Committee