On June 20, The Closet, 3325 N. Broadway St., was packed with LGBTQ+ adults 50 and older for an afternoon of community, conversation and fundraising. DJ Gloria spun throwback tunes while folks filled the dance floor. The gathering marked Before Sunset’s inaugural Pride in Aging event.
“If you get AARP, you’re in,” organizer Laura Young quipped.
The event raised $500 for Thriving with Pride, an AgeOptions program serving LGBTQ+ older adults and their caregivers.
Jeffrey Whitridge attended with his husband, Greg Clemons.
“We’ve been together for 11 years, and we’re not really bar people,” Whitridge said. “We came out because this event supports organizations that help older adults. So many times older people feel isolated or invisible in the gay community.”
Shawn, who attended with their partner Karen, echoed the sentiment.
“I’m having a great time,” Shawn said. “I thank them for organizing this. I’m out here celebrating Juneteenth and Pride.”
For Carla Pister, the event marked a personal milestone.
“This is the first gay bar I’ve ever been to,” she said.
Pister, who came out a few years ago, drove an hour from La Grange Park. She was drawn to the event’s welcoming atmosphere and daytime hours. She spent part of the afternoon playing “Queering Tic Tac Toe,” a conversation game created by Cookies and Conversations that encouraged attendees to connect with new people.
Young launched Sapphic Before Sunset to create community for sapphics 35 and older. The organization has now evolved into Before Sunset, expanding to serve the broader LGBTQ+ community while focusing on adults 50 and older.
“While I embrace younger generations, sometimes I want to be around people facing the same challenges I am—making new friends, finding love, transitioning into a new stage of life, raising teenagers and co-parenting,” she said.
Before Sunset continues its philanthropic roots by raising money for LGBTQ+ and social justice organizations. Past beneficiaries have included Brave Space Alliance, Center on Halsted, Lambda Legal, Rainbow Railroad, Youth Outlook, Affinity 95 and Trans Up Front Illinois.
“We are fluid, bending and changing according to the needs we see and hear about in the community,” Young said. “Right now, we aim to serve all queer people, relationship structures and gender expressions.”
Looking ahead, Before Sunset plans to host a health fair for older LGBTQ+ adults this fall focused on physical, emotional and financial wellness.
“We’re creating the kind of space many of us need right now,” Young said.
All photos by Ronit Bezalel
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