Co-imagining our futures as we age

Being connected with community is good for our health and wellbeing. It can give us a sense of pride and safety. When we don’t feel like we belong, it’s easy to become socially isolated and stop participating in activities we enjoy. Whether we live in outer suburban, regional and rural places, we all want to be supported to get the supports we need.

Many older people face barriers to ‘belonging’. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/gender diverse and intersex (LGBTI+)* people, these barriers may seem particularly difficult. Ageism, stigma or discrimination, lack of services and supports that really understand our needs – there are many reasons why people don’t feel they belong. We might feel unwelcome in the community where we live. Maybe we are disconnected from communities of faith or birth. We may feel we don’t belong in some LGBTI+ spaces.

Older LGBTI+ people want the chance to design and help build our own solutions. We want to dream big and make our voices heard. We have a wealth of ideas and experiences to share. We have amazing skills, we know incredible and surprising things, and we can be fearless agents of change given the chance.