Being Gay and Elderly in Toronto

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how being elderly and gay in Toronto is not a positive experience. The paper explains that the experience is much the same for elderly gays in all cities and that elderly gay men are cut off from younger gay men and also from society. The paper points out that gays and lesbians in Canada have their own gay village right in the downtown area of Toronto and that this area is also known as the gay ghetto. The paper then looks at how the experience of elderly gay people is even worse than the discrimination that results from homophobia and it all has to do with ageism, which puts elderly gay men into yet another ghetto. In conclusion, the paper shows that elderly gay men are also faced with the issues of homophobia and ageism and the process of growing old in Toronto does not seem to have any advantages.

Outline:
The Gay Ghetto
Older Gays, Ageism, and Social Isolation
Other Problems of Elderly Gay Men
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Gays are mainly found in two areas of Toronto. The first is the Gay Village; the center of that village is Church and Wellesley Streets. The Gay Village is a symbol of exclusion or how gays and lesbians are separate from general Toronto society. Homophobia still exists very strongly, and gays and lesbians are still struggling for equality with the rest of society. In the village, gays and lesbians found "an urban neighborhood that is populated by, and reasonably tolerates, a large number of queers" (Editorial 1). They accomplished something remarkable with the rundown urban neighborhood when they rented apartments that other people rejected and opened businesses where no one else would consider doing so."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Editorial. "Why Toronto's Old Gay Village Is Dying". Eminem's Fag Jag, April 5-21, 2001.
• Geyer, Gary. "Homophobia Runs Rampant in Retirement Communities". 50Plus Online Magazine. March 23, 2003. http://www.50plusMag.com
• Hiller, Harry H. (Ed.). Urban Canada. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• McCoy, Danny. "Toronto Launches Effort to Assist LGBT Elderly Patients". August 15, 2005. http://www.qtmagazine.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=6879
• Pitts, Margaret. "Getting On, Staying Strong". December 8, 2005. http://www.napwa.org.au

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