LGBTQ History Month Lunch and Learn Series

AARP’s unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community reflects our core belief in the dignity, worth, and potential of every individual. That’s why we are proud to announce these weekly virtual events to celebrate LGBTQ History Month. Please join us for one or all of these FREE lunch & learn virtual events!

October 5^th: UNIDAD: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos a Conversation Noon Pacific
Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU) was founded in 1981, only a dozen years after the Stonewall rebellion and only a couple of years before the HIV/AIDS pandemic began to ravage LGBTQ communities. Learn about this historic organization by watching the documentary, then join us for a panel conversation with the men and women who were there. The trajectory of this Latin@ Pride movement — a story that has never been told before in film and rarely mentioned in literature such as history books — has left a rich leadership legacy that has barely been explored and includes the founding of statewide and nationwide organizations, vibrant multi-gender artist collectives, the largest Latin@ HIV/AIDS provider in the nation, and the impact that its hundreds of members, now in their late 50s and 60s, have made in various fields including philanthropy, higher education, the arts, non-profit, healthcare, and the equality, and civil rights movements. The documentary film featuring nine founding members of GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS (GLLU) in Los Angeles, California, one of the first Queer Latin@ organizations in the country.

REGISTER HERE
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

October 12^th: AARP+OUTWORDS: A Celebration of Coming Out
In recognition of National Coming Out Day, join us for a celebration of the joys, challenges, and occasional sorrows of coming out, told through the stories of three LGBTQ+ elders. You’ll hear some fascinating, moving stories of what it was like to come out 30 or 40 years ago — and you’ll learn a surprising coming-out tip that many elders share when contemplating this important step.

Panelists include:

• Marianne Diaz, Lesbian Community Mental Health Advocate, Los Angeles
• David Strachan, Intersex Activist, San Francisco  
• Yosenio Lewis, Transgender Health Activist

REGISTER HERE

October 19: Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age Discuss Life Wednesday
Drag has officially transcended the underground and exploded into the mainstream. Queens have more visibility than ever, which has been hard won through decades of perseverance, imagination, and intergenerational support within local drag communities. It’s time to honor the queens who paved the way for the new generation of drag and are still carrying out their work today!

Join us for an interactive conversation with authors Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus, who traveled coast-to-coast, visiting 16 cities to meet 81 legendary entertainers who shared boundless wisdom and powerful anecdotes from their own lives to create To create Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age.

Participants will also hear from two legendary Queens: BeBe Sweetbriar and Sister Roma. This will surely be a fun and fantastic event that you won't want to miss!

REGISTER HERE

October 26: The Intersection of Race, Identity and Aging: The Unique Issues of Health Access in the Black, LGBTQ, Older Adult Community
Join us for a dynamic conversation with Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the California Black Health Network and Cassandra Cantave, Senior Research Advisor at AARP, who has conducted extensive research on issues affecting economically disadvantaged and marginalized populations. They will discuss health access and disparities, as well as the results of an AARP national survey of Black LGBTQ Americans.

REGISTER HERE