As MGRM approaches two decades of LGBTIQ rights activism which have resulted in significant social, cultural and legal transformation, MGRM sought to collate the experiences of the older generation who remember a very different time when such progress could scarcely have been imagined.
This project is an attempt at garnering a better understanding of the lived experiences of senior members of the LGBTIQ community – the experiences that have shaped their lives, their current realities as well as their expectations for their future as they advance in age. It is not a scientific study but a series of narratives that can help us as service providers and activists to be more inclusive of this sector of the LGBTIQ community, one which is often invisible.
The stories compiled here do not present a complete picture. We found it very difficult to identify older LGBTIQ women who were willing to share their stories and their voice is therefore almost silent and still to be heard.