Pride Guide 2004

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

B-11

Gay and gray Ohioans stay active and involved

by Douglas Braun

Cleveland-Life does not end when you turn 50 (or 60, or 70, or . . .) Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people don't simply disappear when they become old. They're still around. Here are some things to get involved in.

Cleveland's Gray Pride is celebrating eight years of existence. Monthly potluck dinners provide a time to get together and have fun. There are occasional speakers, but there is always good food. Gray Pride potlucks are on the second Wednesday of the month at the Lakewood Senior Center West, 16024 Madison Ave.

The next Gray Pride potluck will be July 14 at 5:45 pm. All are welcome. Please bring food to share. The group will not meet in June because there are so many Pride events.

Speaking of Pride, in Cleveland the June 19 festival has a special area for LGBT elders to gather and relax. See Pride's web site,

www.clevelandpride.org.

Gray Pride got its start with a grant from the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging. The agency funds senior centers, Meals on

Wheels and other programs. They have many publications including a free "Older Adults Resource Guide" with an LGBT section and section for care givers. Call 216-621-8010 or see www.psa10a.org/Publications.

The Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center hosts lunch and drop in hours for GLBT seniors on Wednesdays and Fridays. This new program was started in December and has become a real hit. Call 216-651-5428 or go to http:// www.lgcsc.org/seniors 1.htm.

Ohio also has several chapters of Prime Timers (see article below). This organization promotes social activities for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers.

Society has historically had a heavy focus on youth. This is accentuated in the LGBT community. That is why it is important for older LGBT people to be recognized for their contributions to the modern gay movement and for their strength and perseverance in overcoming adversity.

Don't just disappear into the woodwork. Stay active and stay involved.

Douglas Braun is a social worker at the Benjamin Rose Institute.

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Mature Prime Timer men come from all walks of life

by Ralph Sanderson

Cleveland-Prime Timers Cleveland is the city's chapter of Prime Timers Worldwide and was founded in 2000.

A Prime Timer is usually a mature gay or bisexual man. Age, however, is not a criteria for joining the group. The organization is open to all adult males over 21 who promote educational, cultural and social activities for older gay and bisexual men.

The Cleveland chapter meets on the third Sunday of every month for a social gathering and potluck dinner. During the warmer months, these gatherings are held in members' homes. At other times the meetings are held in the social hall of a local church or alternatively at a restaurant.

The Cleveland chapter is one of three in the state. Columbus and Cincinnati also have Prime Timers chapters, and contact information for both is listed below.

Prime Timers members are men who choose to have their social lives enriched by diverse activities. No single definition can describe Prime Timers, as they come from all walks of life and involve themselves in their community with volunteerism, politics, gay issues, arts, entertainment and every other facet of healthy living.

Some are still working and some are retired. Some are always on the go, and some enjoy the quiet company of others at home. A common theme is that Prime Timers enjoy the opportunities and friendships with other Prime Timers throughout the world.

"Never place a period

Prime Timers was founded in 1987 by Woody Baldwin, a retired professor. He felt there was a need for social and cultural organizations to aid and support the aging gay and bisexual man. The organization has grown to 58 chapters worldwide, located throughout North American, Europe and Australia.

The Prime Timers Worldwide Convention is held every two years to discuss business and attend workshops geared toward Prime Timers, as well as to socialize. In October 2003, the convention was held in Houston, Texas with 350 attendees. The 2005 convention will be in Orlando, Florida

For more information about Prime Timers Cleveland, call 216-291-4648, stop by their booth at the Senior Space at the Cleveland Pride Festival or log onto www.ptcleveland.org.

To contact Columbus Ohio Prime Timers, call 614-220-9458 or e-mail colprimetimers@aol.com. More information is available at www.primetimersww.org/ columbusohpt.

To reach Tri-State Prime Timers in Cincinnati, call 513-956-4398 or e-mail primetimeoh@aol.com. More information is available at www.primetimersww.org/tristate. A Dayton chapter is forming. Information is available through their Yahoo group, http:/ /groups.yahoo.com/groups/

miamivalleyprimetimers.

Ralph Sanderson is the president of the Cleveland Prime Timers.

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