The life wisdom and experience of queer seniors form an essential pillar within the LGBTQIA+ community and society at large
The Origins of Senior Pride
From 2006 onward several Pride initiatives for LGBTQIA+ seniors emerged. Mokum Roze, a pink network of Amsterdam organisations for care, welfare and housing, launched a Pride Brunch at the initiative of COC Amsterdam and the Schorerstichting.
At the same time initiatives appeared in the gay hospitality sector to organise a pink concert. Nursing homes also found it important to make Pride visible for their residents and staff. To inform seniors about these activities, the nursing homes published a joint Senior Pride Newsletter. These initiatives eventually led to the founding of the Senior Pride Committee.
Mission and Goals
Senior Pride works to make sexual and gender diversity among seniors visible and discussable, both within and outside the LGBTQIA+ community.
Within the LGBTQIA+ community the focus is often on youth and vitality, while everyone grows older and ageing brings many positives. Queer seniors started the emancipation struggle and, despite oppression, stood up for their rights. With their life experience, wisdom and talents they have been — and remain — of great importance to the gay movement and society. They deserve recognition and appreciation.
Outside the LGBTQIA+ community few people reflect on the existence of gay seniors. Many seniors have learned to make themselves invisible and stay silent. As a result they are often overlooked by staff, welfare organisations and policymakers. Yet these seniors also want to feel free, safe, seen and valued — without having to fight the same battles again.
Queer seniors often have shrinking social networks and need opportunities to meet like-minded people. By organising these gatherings and increasing visibility, Senior Pride contributes to their wellbeing, empowerment and the development of their social networks.
Senior Pride organises activities and shares information to achieve its goals.
Activities
Pink Brunch
On the Friday before Canal Parade a Pink Brunch is organised. It is a warm, inclusive gathering with space for meeting others, conversation and entertainment. The brunch takes place each year at changing locations and accommodates up to 175 guests from diverse queer groups.
Senior Pride Concert
On Thursday 31 July the Nieuwmarkt will once again come alive from 18.30 with the warm and colourful Senior Pride Concert, the musical start of the Street Parties during Pride Amsterdam 2025. This special evening is dedicated to our queer pioneers — the activists who paved the way for subsequent generations in the LGBTIQ+ community.
With performances by artists including Dolly Bellefleur, Sjors van der Panne, Peter Beense, Silver Metz and Maggie MacNeal, it will be an evening of recognition, connection and gratitude.
An intimate, free event for seniors, but everyone is welcome — young, old, neighbours or passing visitors. Join us, raise a glass, sing along and celebrate love in one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful spots.
For more information see:
https://seniorpride.nl
Junior Meets Senior
Since 2019 Senior Pride and Youth Pride have regularly partnered to connect different generations within the LGBTQIA+ community. During activities or a shared lunch, young people and seniors exchange experiences, stories and perspectives.
This initiative offers a unique opportunity for intergenerational exchange, where young people learn from the struggles and life wisdom of seniors, while seniors gain insight into the contemporary experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth.
Senior Pride in care homes
Nursing homes are diverse, colourful communities where residents, staff and volunteers from different backgrounds come together. Pride is celebrated there as ‘the celebration of love’. Through singing, dancing, lectures, films and decorations, sexual and gender diversity is made visible and discussed. This contributes to an inclusive and safe environment for residents and staff. The number of nursing homes organising these activities grows each year. In 2010 the first Senior Pride was held in 7 nursing homes. By 2019 that number had grown to 50 large and small activities, and in 2022, 28 nursing homes organised 65 pink activities!
Nursing homes are colourful communities — micro-societies. Most residents have roots in the Netherlands, but many also come from former colonies or other countries. In many centres half of the staff and volunteers have roots in a different culture.
Residents, staff, visitors, trainees and volunteers also differ in sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, culture, belief system, and socio-economic position, among other things.
Nursing homes aim to be living and meeting places where everyone can feel free and safe, and be themselves. Where respect and tolerance prevail, and people feel seen, heard and recognised. Where they can connect, meet like-minded people and take part in meaningful activities that match their background and interests. Nursing homes therefore often have an active diversity policy. Several homes also have a Roze Loper: a quality certificate for sexual and gender diversity.
The impact of Pride in nursing homes is large. In a home with 100 residents there are often 100 staff, 100 trainees and volunteers, at least 100 close contacts and many visiting neighbours. By organising pink activities, decorating the home and placing an article in the house magazine, sexual and gender diversity is made visible and discussable to a very large group of people.
Senior Pride News
Since 2010 a printed and digital Senior Pride Newsletter has been published with articles, interviews and information about queer seniors. The front page usually features a foreword by a public figure: someone from politics or a leader in the LGBTQIA+ community. The newsletter also includes the Pride activities agenda, interviews with LGBTQIA+ people, a pink social map (an overview of organisations that arrange activities and meetings for queer seniors) and an address list of LGBTQIA+-friendly homes. From 2025 information about Senior Pride will be provided mainly digitally to remain accessible to a broad audience.
An Inclusive Future
Senior Pride continues to work for an inclusive society where queer seniors feel recognised, valued and connected. By organising meetings and activities we increase visibility and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ seniors and together build a future where everyone can be themselves, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation.
