Friends & Co is creating spaces where they don’t have to.
Where is the place you go and feel like you belong?
Where there’s an ease to it, where you don’t have to explain yourself.
Maybe it began with a little courage, a conversation or two, before that sense of belonging settled in.
And sometimes, it’s the opposite. You go into a room full of people and realize you don’t quite fit. Even in a crowd, you feel invisible. Maybe you tried to be courageous there too, tried starting a conversation, only to find you weren’t welcomed. That kind of loneliness can stay with you long after the moment has passed.
For many LGBTQ+ older adults, that feeling of loneliness hasn’t just been occasional, it has shaped entire decades of their lives. Many came of age in a time when being open about who they were meant risking everything.
The ability to live openly today was hard won.
But for some, aging can mean entering spaces where they feel they have to hide again. And we know that as people grow older, the risk of loneliness and isolation only increases.
That’s why this work matters, and your support can create an impact.
In 2013, a group of leaders from Friends & Co and advocates around the Twin Cites, watched the documentary Gen Silent, which tells stories of LGBTQ+ older adults facing exactly this reality—feeling forced back into hiding as they age. The message was clear: our community needed spaces where LGBTQ+ older people could continue to show up fully as themselves.
So we created Let’s Do Lunch Café.
It began as a small gathering and has grown into a community of 70 to 120 LGBTQ+ older adults who meet regularly throughout each month to talk, share a meal, and connect over coffee.
I really appreciate all of the luncheon events. It is especially important these days that we LGBTQ+ people have one another for support. -Eugene S.
As former board vice president Harry Hartigan said, It’s about each and every person who is welcomed and celebrated.
Because of generous supporters like you, participants are building friendships, finding support, and navigating challenges.
Most importantly, they belong.
And having a sense of belonging can change everything.
Your gift today helps make that possible. It creates a welcoming space where LGBTQ+ older adults are seen, heard, and valued, exactly as they are.
Please join us.
Give today and help someone walk into a room where they finally feel at home.
Thank you for being part of this community.
