Senior Pride Events
The life wisdom and experience of queer seniors form an essential pillar within the LGBTQIA+ community and society as a whole
Click here for an overview of the Senior Pride programme
The Origins of Senior Pride
From 2006 onwards several Pride initiatives for LGBTQIA+ seniors emerged. Mokum Roze, a queer 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 in gay nightlife venues began organising a queer concert. Nursing homes also felt it important to make Pride visible for their residents and staff. To inform seniors about all of this, the nursing homes issued a joint Senior Pride Newsletter. These initiatives eventually led to the establishment 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. Yet everyone grows older, and ageing brings many valuable experiences. Queer seniors started the emancipation movement and—despite oppression—stood up for their rights. With their lived experience, wisdom and talents they have been and remain deeply important to the LGBTQ movement and society. They deserve recognition and appreciation.
Outside the LGBTQIA+ community few people consider the existence of gay seniors. Many seniors have learned to be invisible and keep quiet. As a result they are often overlooked by staff, welfare organisations and policymakers. 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 kindred spirits. By organising these meetings 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
Queer Brunch
On the Friday before Canal Parade a Queer Brunch is organised. This is a friendly, inclusive gathering with space for meeting, conversation and entertainment. The brunch is held each year at varying locations and accommodates up to 175 guests from different queer communities.
Senior Pride Concert
On Thursday 31 July from 18:30 the Nieuwmarkt will once again come alive with the warm and colourful Senior Pride Concert, the musical start of the Street Parties during Pride Amsterdam 2025. This special evening is entirely dedicated to our queer pioneers—the activists who paved the way for later generations in the LGBTIQ+ community.
With performances by, among others, Dolly Bellefleur, Sjors van der Panne, Peter Beense, Silver Metz and Maggie MacNeal, it will be an evening full of recognition, connection and gratitude.
An intimate and free event for seniors, though everyone is welcome—young, old, neighbours or passersby. Drop in, 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 collaborated to connect different generations within the LGBTQIA+ community. At activities or shared lunches young people and seniors exchange experiences, stories and perspectives.
This initiative offers a unique chance for intergenerational exchange: 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 residential care homes
Nursing homes are diverse, colourful communities where residents, staff and volunteers from varied backgrounds come together. Pride is celebrated there as “the celebration of love.” Through singing, dancing, talks, films and decorations, sexual and gender diversity is made visible and discussable. This contributes to an inclusive and safe environment for residents and staff. The number of nursing homes organising these activities grows every year. In 2010 the first Senior Pride was held in 7 nursing homes. By 2019 that number had grown to 50 activities large and small. In 2022, 28 nursing homes organised 65 queer activities!
Nursing homes are colourful communities—mini-societies. Most residents have roots in the Netherlands, but many come from former colonies or other countries. In many centres half of the staff and volunteers have roots in another culture.
Residents, staff, visitors, students and volunteers therefore differ in sex, gender, age, orientation, culture, beliefs, socio-economic position, etc.
Nursing homes aim to be living and meeting places where everyone can feel free and safe, and be themselves. Where there is respect and tolerance. Where people feel seen, heard and recognised. Where they can connect, meet kindred spirits and take part in meaningful activities that match their background and interests. Many homes therefore have active diversity policies. Several 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 students and volunteers, at least 100 close relatives and many visiting neighbours. By organising queer activities, decorating the home and placing an article in the house magazine, sexual and gender diversity becomes visible and discussable for a very large audience.
Senior Pride News
From 2010 a paper and digital Senior Pride Newsletter was published, with articles, interviews and information about queer seniors. The first page featured an introduction by a figurehead: someone from politics or a leading figure in the LGBTQIA+ community. It also included the Pride activities agenda, interviews with LGBTQIA+ people, a queer social map (an overview of organisations that organise activities and meetings for queer seniors) and an address list of LGBTQIA+-friendly homes. From 2025 information about Senior Pride will be offered mainly digitally, so it remains accessible to a wide audience.
An Inclusive Future
Senior Pride remains committed to an inclusive society where queer seniors feel recognised, valued and connected. By organising meetings and activities we increase the visibility and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ seniors and build together toward a future where everyone can be themselves, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation.
