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BEST HINT THAT BEST B THA AT THE MIGHT F FUTURE MI IGHT BE THAN B BETTER TH HAN THE PAST PAST A OUR LGBT F FOR LG GBT ELDERS S When announced W en plans Wh plans were werre first ann ounced years years a ago ago to establish LGBT establish an upscale upscale L GBT retirement retirement e community communit o y in Sonoma Sonoma County, County, the the idea id dea was was nothing nothin o g short short of revolutionary. revolutionary y. The The first firrst of itss kind kind in the the nation, nation, Fountaingrove Fountaingrove Lodge Lodge was was dreamed dreamed up as as a place place where where lesbian, lesbi b an, gay, gay, bisexual and bisexual an d transgender transgender seniors seniors and and their their allies allies could years their lives could spend spend the the post-work post-work y ears of th heir li ves in a beautiful b autiful location, be location, with luxury luxury apartments aparttments that that offered offered an option for for continuing continuing care carre services. services. With gourmet With a golf course, course, a go urmet rrestaurant, estaurant, unbeatable un nbeataab ble views views and and 10 acres acres on which whiich to rroam oam in safety, and beauty, safety, ssecurity, ecurity, ccomfort omfort an d be auty, the the project project was thee was immediately immediately ccontroversial—not ontroversial—n l not due d to th idea peace, but idea of same-sex same-sex ccouples ouples rretiring etiring in p eace, b ut because thee si size beecause th ze of the the facility facility caused caused d concerns concerns to locals thee environment. locals eeager ager to protect protect th en nv vironm ment. Any progress. An ny way way you you look at it, that’s that’s ssocial ocial pr p ogress. After Affter addressing addressing the the environmental environmental concerns, concerns,
developers Bill and developers an nd Cindy Cindy Gallaher, Gallaherr, who’ve who’ve created significant empire cr eated a signific a ssenior-citizen ant enior-citizen em pire through building state-of-the-art housing thr ough b uilding state-ofthe-art h ousing over thee ccountry, ccomplexes omplexes aall ll o ver e th ountry y, fforged orged aahead head and brought thee llong-overdue dream life. an d br ought th ong-overdue dr eam to lif e. In November, thee fir first moved Santa N ovemb berr, th rst rresidents esidents m oved into S anta Rosa’s Fountaingrove Lodge, and R osa’s F ountaingrrove L odge, an d the the only only were from thee rrealization sshockwaves hockwaves caused caused e w ere fr om th ealization that, now, no facility kind had th at, until n ow, n o fa cility of its kin dh ad thee ccountry. eexisted xisted anywhere an nyw y here in th ountry y. Ass th thee first gen generation LGBT Americans A erration of L GBT Am ericans to have thee m majority their lives out-ofh ave lived lived th ajorit j y of th eir li ves o ut-ofthe-closet, Fountaingrove’s inaugural group th e-closet, F ountaaingrove’s in augural gr oup thee truth: w while things may of residents residents know know th hile thin gs m ay be about about to get better, beetterr, the the present present iiss often not great gay and who n ot so so gr eat ffor or g ay an d lesbian lesbian sseniors, eniors, w ho and eexperience xperience far higher hig gher incidents incidents of abuse abuse an d neglect n eglect than than straight straiight seniors. seniors. Reports Reports show show that risk th at many many y LGBT LGBT seniors seniors are are at increased increased ri sk
of depression depression and and suicide. suicide. There There are are also also numerous numerous reports reports that that many many gay gay and and lesbian lesbian seniors, discrimination, back seniors, ffearing earing di scrimination, go g b ack into the thee first time the closet closet ffor or th time in decades deccades when when leaving leaving private private homes homes to take take residency ressidency in group-care group-care facilities. facilities. While Fountaingrove Fountaingrove is is certainly certainly a pricey pricey option, it off offers hope that thee tidee h has turned. ers h ope th at th as turn ed. In th thee futur future, indicated by e, aass in dicated b y rreports epo orts of several similar facilities now planning several simil ar fa cilities n ow in p lanning or construction phases around thee ccountry, construction ph ases ar ound th ountry y, old age become age might bec ome ssomething omething to look fforward orward to for previously had no for LGBT LGBT seniors, seniors, eniors who who pr evious u ly h ad n o practical inviting practical models models of safe, safe, in nv viting housing. housing. And knows, maybe won’t that And who who kn ows, m aybe it w on’t be th at far in the the future future before before a senior’s seniorr ’s sexual sexual orientation and and gender gender identity identity are are no no big deal. deal. fountaingrovelodge.com.—D.T. fountaingrovelod dge.com.—D.T.