Purpose

2SLGBTQ+ older adults have played an integral role in the progression of rights for queer communities over the previous several decades and, as such, have developed valuable skills and knowledge that can be harnessed to continue to educate and advocate for a better quality of life as they age. To this end, Aging with Pride aims to highlight and tackle systemic barriers that the 2SLGBTQ+ aging population face by:

• Increasing opportunities for social interaction, especially for those without partners or without many friends;
• Increasing access to personal advocates in legal and health matters;
• Increasing understanding and sensitivity on the part of staff in hospitals, care facilities and support services.

Vision

Waterloo-Wellington are communities in which 2SLGBTQ+ older adults live healthy, meaningful, and fulfilling lives, free of stigma.

Mission

Aging with Pride is committed to creating events, supports and providing education in response to the needs of our community. We work with local senior serving organizations to make them aware of the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ older adults. To that end, we advocate and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that new and existing supports or services are inclusive and responsive.

What We Do

We prepare and deliver 2SLGBTQ+ Cultural Awareness Training sessions to staff and administrators at senior-serving institutions such as: community centres with a significant senior population, retirement homes, home-care services, long-term-care facilities and hospices.

Aging with Pride’s mission is put into practice by a steering committee. The committee generally meets on the on the second Wednesday of the month at SPECTRUM. The committee uses consensus as its decision-making process. Aging with Pride’s steering committee is made up of a caring group of older 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and their allies who work to carry out the mission of AWP.

In addition to steering committee members, AWP’s 2SLGBTQ+ cultural awareness trainers assist the committee in delivering workshops to the various organizations requesting education. Some steering committee members fulfill this role as well.

All new membership applications for those wishing to join AWP, either as steering committee members or cultural awareness trainers, must apply through SPECTRUM’s volunteer application process. Once consent is gained, current AWP steering committee members will review the application(s) of prospective members and give feedback to Spectrum accordingly. If the AWP members are in agreement of the prospective member’s admittance, they will be invited to the next meeting to see if they’re interested in staying.

If one or more current AWP committee member objects to the prospective member’s addition, a discussion on the matter will be added as an agenda item for the next meeting (without the prospective member present). After discussion, AWP will try to reach a consensus on the issue. A vote will be held in the event that a consensus is unable to be reached. In the event of a vote, a simple majority of the votes will determine if the prospective member is added to the committee or not.

SPECTRUM News

Elder Abuse in our 2SLGBTQ+ Community

Elder Abuse Ontario has developed a series of ‘Training Modules’ on specific issues related to elder abuse. The Modules have been designed to provide a standardized format for training purposes that can be utilized for educating interdisciplinary sectors. 

Ageing Well Waterloo

The City of Waterloo’s Ageing Well Directory was created to help older adults (people aged 55+) in Waterloo access  nformation on older adult focused services, programs, and amenities.

SPECTRUM History

SPECTRUM was founded in 2012 as Waterloo Region’s first Rainbow Community Space

Aging With Pride Training Sessions

Get in touch with us if your agency / organization would like the Aging with Pride Committee to deliver an 2SLGBTQ+ Cultural-Awareness Training Session at your facility.