A lot of people believe that you just live happily ever after, and that just

is a myth.

People like ourselves older who are hiding in nursing

homes or whatever because they are scared to death.

It's incredibly common to go back into the closet again.

You just know

when

they don't want you there.

We've heard about homemakers going in,

taking out a Bible, and having the elder pray and asking for forgiveness.

And to be cured.

It's not too late for you to be cured of this.

They go back in the closet.

She might mistreat me or abuse me.

They're so afraid of that they are resisting any kind of medical attention.

That person was in their mid-twenties during the McCarthy era.

The closet was the norm.

They could lose their job.

They could lose,

you know,

families.

We were sick.

We were sick.

We were considered sick.

People were involuntarily hospitalized in psychiatric facilities.

Even electroshock.

The degradation of these people is so complete that

their sex satisfaction come only in being tortured themselves.

I

was on the route

to the nut farm.

So, there's a real distrust of mainstream institutions.

I would never put myself

in danger.

I well.

He became much more fearful of people knowing that he was gay.

You're not leaving now.

Are you? Not right now.

LGBT elders are more likely than the general population to

age alone because many gay elders never had children,

have not had great relationships with their families of origin.

There would be a higher degree of

sort of alienation and isolation.

My family was the reason I existed, and I lost them all.

If they ever choose to catch up before I die,

I

welcome them.

The LGBT aging issues are an epidemic.

There's a small and growing group of us.

We're trying to go into the existing network until they become more inclusive.

One of the most common lines we get it's like

we don't have any gay elders here.

If I wasn't the only person responsible for Alexander,

I would have ended my life.

This is our life.

Good to see ya.

I build this hell and paradise with a new step every day.

We have a whole generation of people who don't know who we are.

That's really sad because you're missing out on a lot.

We know a lot.

We did a lot for you.

You wouldn't be here if it weren't for us.

Look at how scrawny they are.

Too bad I don't have an open casket.

Well,

there'll be no open casket.

There won't be anything,

right?

If we are saying come out and and be filled with pride,

it's our responsibility

to make sure that continues right through their last day.