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In 2013, all the residential care facilities in and around White Rock were visited by a volunteer from Qmunity, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer resource centre.

Staff members were asked if they had any queer or transgender residents. The answer?

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They all said same thing: None of their seniors were LGBTQ.

The revealing anecdote was in a Qmunity report called Aging Out. It’s the kind of story that Travis Jones says illustrates how residents end up going back into the closet as they age for safety and security.

“We have to become invisible to ensure that we’re fairly treated,” said Jones.

“There are people working in care facilities system with more ‘classic’ moral values that fit the age of the community that’s there. It’s like we’re rewinding our lives when we go into these facilities.”

Jones is a group facilitator organizing a new weekly event for queer seniors aged 55 and older at the Roundhouse Community Centre. Rainbow Roundtable starts Sept.14 at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and continues every Friday to Dec. 14.