COMMENT | Does the gay community have an issue with ageism?

We’ll have a gay old timer…

So here is some background to the idea for these articles… I’m over 50 and no longer feel part of a community like I used to in my 20s or 30s. On the rare occasion, I venture into the Manchester Gay Village or Soho in London, it doesn’t feel right as if I don’t belong anymore as if there’s nothing in those communities for me.

Next time you’re out and about, take a look around at the bars and clubs on offer, who are they aimed at? Check out their clientele – you have my permission to do that and please, take your time. That cute blonde? Under 30. That red head? Under 40. Where are the LGBTQ people in their 50s or 60s and over?

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Where do we go if you simply want a drink, a dance or a hook-up? It used to be so easy – find a bar, flirt… job done! After around 40, suddenly, you’re a “daddy” like it or not. There seems to be little else on offer.

I know, I know, I’m generalising but you get my drift. The majority of venues cater for a younger client group and simply mirror something I’ve been feeling for a while about our inclusive LGBTQ community.

We’re ageist, like it or not, we are. I think it could be tracked back to a wider, societal issue.

We don’t embrace older people and tend to forget that we all age, even the ones who use pig placenta nightly or plump and primp for days. We all age and at some point, we reach that point where we don’t fit into our younger lives, we change but does the community we were once an active part of change with us? Is it them or us that needs to alter our perceptions and attitudes?

So, my aim is to write about some of those issues we face as we age, from a gay point of view. Really serious issues like; Can you wear super skinny jeans after 50? Velcro shoes – friend or foe?