Everyone deserves a space where they can be themselves and connect with their peers. Older LGBTQ+ adults congregated in bars in the 80s, creating a safe, inviting space of their own. Today, the meeting grounds has moved to WestMass ElderCare’s Rainbow Social Club (RSC). Whether online or in-person, it is a welcoming, open, supportive space to unwind and focus on common interests and concerns that truly matter.
Find a Space of Your Own
To support, uplift, and empower older adults in the LGBTQ+ community — the RSC offers the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+) community opportunities to meet one another and grow in their identities.
The Rainbow Social Club’s current schedule consists of an in-person event on the first Wednesday of each month at the Holyoke Senior Center (291 Pine St) from 5-7 p.m., where we provide a meal and offer fun group activities; an in-person coffee hour on the second Wednesday of the month at the Belchertown Senior Center (60 State St) from 10-11 a.m., a time for members to socialize in an unstructured format; and a virtual gathering on Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month from 5-6 p.m., where members engage and learn with facilitated LGBTQ+ discussion topics.
To Inspire…
No matter your age or past experiences, the Rainbow Social Club offers an opportunity to unwind in a safe space with peers. Every month, the RSC provides an exciting in-person event to bring our community closer together. Movies, dances, holiday celebrations, meals, and discussions are just the beginning of the robust schedule of events.
While always changing, these community gatherings are a constant, helping ground and refresh the members who attend grow in friendship and share their experiences. As more people join, the RSC community grows from blending its members’ experiences, knowledge, and personalities. The more the merrier, after all!
…and Educate
To build upon the fun and celebrations of the past and present, RSC members gather to look toward the future. The most powerful tool the community has is their voices. By sharing them with one another, RSC members can raise awareness about their experiences with others in the area and the LGBTQ+ community.
However, this is only one half of the coin. The Rainbow Social Club creates regular opportunities for members to connect with one another, sharing their problems, hopes, successes, challenges, and ideas.
RSC members recognize they are aging and will have to address new concerns. How will gay older adults be treated if they enter a nursing home? How can the greater community support their aging peers? How are changes in politics, Medicare, and society at large going to affect members of the LGBTQ community as they age? Together, members of the RSC explore these topics, discuss advocacy opportunities, and provide mutual support to one another on the aging journey.
Always Room for More — Join the RSC
Anyone interested in joining this enriching community should sign up for the Rainbow Social Club newsletter and any future events by emailing RainbowSocialClub@wmeldercare.org. News of the Rainbow Social Club events can also be found online on our LGBTQ+ Services page.
ace of Your Own
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To support, uplift, and empower older adults in the LGBTQ+ community — the RSC offers the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+) community opportunities to meet one another and grow in their identities._x000D_
_x000D_
The Rainbow Social Club’s current schedule consists of an in-person event on the first Wednesday of each month at the Holyoke Senior Center (291 Pine St) from 5-7 p.m., where we provide a meal and offer fun group activities; an in-person coffee hour on the second Wednesday of the month at the Belchertown Senior Center (60 State St) from 10-11 a.m., a time for members to socialize in an unstructured format; and a virtual gathering on Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month from 5-6 p.m., where members engage and learn with facilitated LGBTQ+ discussion topics._x000D_
_x000D_
_x000D_
To Inspire…
_x000D_
No matter your age or past experiences, the Rainbow Social Club offers an opportunity to unwind in a safe space with peers. Every month, the RSC provides an exciting in-person event to bring our community closer together. Movies, dances, holiday celebrations, meals, and discussions are just the beginning of the robust schedule of events._x000D_
_x000D_
While always changing, these community gatherings are a constant, helping ground and refresh the members who attend grow in friendship and share their experiences. As more people join, the RSC community grows from blending its members’ experiences, knowledge, and personalities. The more the merrier, after all!_x000D_
_x000D_
_x000D_
…and Educate
_x000D_
To build upon the fun and celebrations of the past and present, RSC members gather to look toward the future. The most powerful tool the community has is their voices. By sharing them with one another, RSC members can raise awareness about their experiences with others in the area and the LGBTQ+ community._x000D_
_x000D_
However, this is only one half of the coin. The Rainbow Social Club creates regular opportunities for members to connect with one another, sharing their problems, hopes, successes, challenges, and ideas._x000D_
_x000D_
RSC members recognize they are aging and will have to address new concerns. How will gay older adults be treated if they enter a nursing home? How can the greater community support their aging peers? How are changes in politics, Medicare, and society at large going to affect members of the LGBTQ community as they age? Together, members of the RSC explore these topics, discuss advocacy opportunities, and provide mutual support to one another on the aging journey._x000D_
_x000D_
_x000D_
Always Room for More — Join the RSC
_x000D_
Anyone interested in joining this enriching community should sign up for the Rainbow Social Club newsletter and any future events by emailing RainbowSocialClub@wmeldercare.org. News of the Rainbow Social Club events can also be found online on our LGBTQ+ Services page.
