The group of seniors went into detail about issues such as public transportation, socialization and support systems.
The Center hosted the event as part of its discussion series to receive feedback on current resources available for its programs and services.
In the past week, the Center hosted a total of four conversation events: a kick-off discussion with transgender and gender non-conforming people on Dec. 16; a community conversation at Vice Mayor Rex Richardson’s office on Dec. 19; a dialogue with LGBTQ people of all ages on Dec. 20; and a final event with LGBTQ seniors this past Wednesday.
The series focused on north Long Beach residents. All discussions took place at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, 2017 E. 4th St., with the exception of the Dec. 19 meeting, which took place at Richardson’s field office at 6509 Gundry Ave.
The events were moderated by the Center’s Executive Director Porter Gilberg and Board Chair and President LaDawn Best.
Lester Pincu, a volunteer at the Center and a former professor at Fresno State University, moderated the senior meeting on Dec. 21 and posed a series of questions to the group that featured no more than nine people— including Center representatives.
Attendees cited the holidays, late start time— 7pm— and poor outreach as reasons for the low turnout.
Tom Lawson, a volunteer with the Senior Services Committee at the Center, brought up the issue of transportation, adding how there might have been a full house if there was better access for elder citizens who are intimidated by public travel or being out late at night.
“I’m not sure how exactly we’d go about it, but if there were a van or telephone network that you could use to stop by and pick somebody up,” Lawson said, “or any number of things […] then we can bring people to talk and hear voices that we may have never heard.”
Andrew Romero, a volunteer who is also with the Senior Services Committee at the Center, said most attendees were “the usual suspects” and already affiliated with the organization or the committee. He emphasized the importance of empowering elders.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-22-at-12.17.01-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Bill Logan (center), a local resident, said at the Dec. 21 conversation event at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach that a challenge some seniors face is lack of affordable housing, adding how some elders struggle to find a secure place to stay.” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”] “Seniors are not ready to drop dead,” Romero said. “But they are hesitant of trying something new— venturing out and just to get them moving […] It’s not that they are not mobile; it’s that they are afraid of being mobile […] I just think there’s a lot of potential in the older generation.”
Romero said that the public transportation schedules could be intimidating for seniors, who might not know how the system works.
He added how seniors sometimes just need someone to talk to. Romero suggested creating a senior directory and reaching out to individuals to check up on them.
Pincu chimed in by saying that as people get older, and their loved ones begin to pass, life can get lonely.
Lawson agreed. In a project he was affiliated with years ago, he said he evaluated senior support systems within the community.
“These older people, most of who are disabled, when I went into their homes, all they wanted to do was talk,” Lawson said. “Somebody to know they were still alive, still there […] just that human interaction.”
Pincu next inquired about unsafe places within the community that the group actively avoids.
Bill Logan, a Long Beach resident who has resided by Drake Park for about 20 years, said the area, largely considered unsafe, is a source of fear for many of his friends.
Romero encouraged seniors to simply be aware of their surroundings and to make appropriate choices when confronted with a sketchy individual down the street or a dark area.
“I hear people say, ‘I don’t go there,'” Romero said. “Not after 3:00 in the afternoon or whatever. You just need to be aware of your environment. It’s fear that keeps you from a place— fear of whether something may or may not happen.”
Logan suggested that people plan accordingly to avoid uncomfortable situations, such as not staying out late.
When asked by Pincu of any other challenges some seniors may face in the community, Logan said a lack of affordable housing is a big problem, adding how some elders, and citizens in general, sometimes struggle to find a secure place to stay. Others added that homelessness is another big problem in the city that may not be solved any time soon.
Gilberg said all input from the senior meeting and the other discussion events from the past week have been documented and will be factored into the Center’s future decisions for new programs.
He said the Center will hire a senior services coordinator in January to help facilitate suggestions made by older citizens. The coordinator would help host meetings, organize events and communicate with the senior population in Long Beach.
Romero commended Gilberg, Pincu, Best and Center officials for organizing the event, adding that the Center is a well run entity that operates more efficiently than other similar institutions.
He also encouraged Gilberg to continue his words of encouragement and input on current events, specifically on the results of the presidential election that have many LGBTQ people feeling uncertain.
Charles Chang, a volunteer with the Senior Services Committee at the Center, said the Long Beach community as a whole does a good job of making its residents feel safe.
“I’m very comfortable as a gay man,” he said. “We have a very good gay community. It’s very proactive with a gay mayor. I’ve pretty much been comfortable in this city.”
