Lawrence happily calls himself a “Proud Gay Grampy.” Bob cherishes being raised by older drag queen mothers.

They instantly connected as friends after being paired through The 519’s Pals Connect Friendly Visiting Program. They seem to have a lot in common – including wit and a strong sense of humour. Another thing they have in common is the experience of social isolation.

Lawrence spent most of his life in Winnipeg until he came out to his family at the age of 44. He moved to Toronto 13 years ago to explore his new out life. He lives by himself in the Village and recently had to retire from his job because of health issues. Feeling the pressure of isolation, Lawrence decided to participate in the Older LGBTQ2S Drop-in Program at The 519. He was looking for social activity in a smaller group setting and decided to explore Pals Connect as a program participant.

“Loneliness has such stigma attached to it. It is real for older queer people living alone.” - Lawrence

Bob grew up in Calgary under the wing of senior drag queens. Although his journey has been different than Lawrence’s, he recently found himself reevaluating his professional and personal paths. Bob has been engaged with The 519 as a program participant in various community engagement activities and as a volunteer.

“You lose a lot of friends when you decide to change your life.” - Bob

Lawrence and Bob support each other in moments when reassurance is needed and feel that they balance each other. Lawrence’s own experience with drastic life changes helps him relate to Bob, and Bob’s respect for and association with older queer and trans people make him a dedicated friend.

Help us fill the gap
Funding cuts by the Provincial Government has put programs like Pals Connect and others we provide for Older LGBTQ2S  adults under immense strain and many of our critical services continue to be unfunded. With a funding gap of more than $300,000, sustaining and expanding programs has become significantly challenging. A challenge we cannot overcome without your help.  We know you have supported The 519 earlier this year and we ask you to please consider making a special year-end donation today and help us fill the gap so we can continue to serve the most underserved people in our communities.