

A M essage from O LOC about the Pandemic:

The coronavirus is having a tremendous effect on our all lives. Many of us have been instructed to shelter in place and stay in our residences as much as possible in an attempt to slow and stop the spread of the virus. This can pose a major problem for Old Lesbians, who are often already isolated. However, there is no need to despair! OLOC is still active and thriving. The only thing that has changed at this point is that we are not meeting in person. But the chapters and the Steering Committee are finding other ways to carry on. There is something that almost all of us can find some way to do: reach out to others, stay connected to those who are important to you, ask for help if you need it, and look into the many opportunities to help others, whether that be with practical or financial assistance, a friendly check-in, or simply a smile. Spread some kindness around! Make THAT contagious.

And if you are interested in connecting with other members, you can check out our online forum at groups.io/g/NationalOLOC.

Please stay safe, everyone. You do not need to distance yourself socially from others, only physically! We are survivors and we will get through this.

OLOC’s Second National Video Meeting a Zooming Success!

On June 27, OLOC held its second National Zoom meeting, with approximately 60 Old Lesbians in attendance. The topic was: What kind of activism work can you do while staying home or safe from COVID-19? All who were there are activists who lament that we can’t march now for Black Lives Matter because of our age and COVID-19. In this Zoom event, the facilitators randomly separated participants into various chat rooms. Each room was asked to have a notetaker to list the activities of its members. The compilation of those notes is here and we hope you will check it out! Many thanks to Mev Miller, 1955, for putting it together, and to the tech team (Mev, Deirdre Knowles, 1947, Ruth Debra, 1944, JR, 1943, and Retts Scauzillo, 1953) for leading another successful meeting!

It’s not hard to find people who need help. Just about all of us can do something to take action now to fight racism and ease the pain of the pandemic for others, two of the most pressing issues of the present time. Everyone can make a difference and have an impact, no matter how small you think your actions are!

Ruth says: “Thank you to all you OLOC Zoomers. Thank you for doing the survey and coming up with such great ideas for future meetings. We will Zoom again in August; date to be announced, so watch your email. So good to see so many Old Lesbian faces!”

Download the Zoom Notes

OLOC Rhode Island Zooms!

The Rhode Island chapter is meeting biweekly via Zoom. “It’s been a relief, blessing, and touchstone support for all of us. We enjoy it a lot and are grateful to have this way to stay in touch!” — Mev

OLOC Mission Statement

To eliminate the oppression of ageism and to stand in solidarity against all oppressions.

OLOC Vision Statement



OLOC will be a cooperative community of Old Lesbian feminist activists from many backgrounds working for justice and the well-being of all Old Lesbians.

OLOC in Action



We are a national network of Old Lesbians in our 60th year or older working to confront ageism in our communities and our country. We use education and public discourse as our primary tools.



Our national organization is directed by a Steering Committee that works to form and support local groups who will work in their own communities.

We hold biennial National Gatherings allowing us to come together to share experiences and ideas and recharge our energies for the tasks at hand.

We believe that we have a great deal of wisdom, experience, and strength to share with our communities as well as among ourselves.

Everyone will have her older life made better by the work we do.

We are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Lesbian voice as well as increasing Lesbian visibility in a world that stifles it and threatens to erase it.

OLOC Works for Change by Supporting: