St. Cloud LGBTQ+ community includes the generation that forged the way for equality

ST. CLOUD — Pride Month festivities come in many different forms, but these celebrations often overlook the LGBTQ+ community's older generation. St. Cloud leaders have decided it's time to be more inclusive.

“A lot of Pride events are focused on other age groups, even with options for little kids, but there aren't many choices for seniors," Whitney Senior Center Program Coordinator Kylie Weller said. "Some of the older adults were saying, ‘I don’t feel like there’s anything for me.’”

Recognizing this gap, St. Cloud leaders decided it was unfair to the generation that fought for LGBTQ+ rights early on. These conversations led the Central Minnesota Council on Aging and the Rainbow Wellness Collective to host a Senior Pride Bingo and Brunch, which took place on Thursday.

“They’ve had a harder struggle because of how closeted they had to be to survive,” Rainbow Wellness Collective Chair Toni Rakke said. “People are trying to make sure the younger generations have a safe place to go, but we forget the older population is how we got here.”

The bingo and brunch event was designed to accommodate seniors who may face physical limitations and unreliable transportation. Organizers met participants at the Whitney Senior Center and took the bus with them downtown to the Rainbow Wellness Collective. From there, participants sat around tables, chatting with friends as they crossed their fingers in pursuit of victory.

“We put on an event in the morning focused on a fun activity with room for social interaction,” Weller said.

The senior-focused Pride gathering held its inaugural celebration in neighboring Sartell last year. This is the first time it took place in St. Cloud.

Corey Schmidt covers local government for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.