LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club

The Coming Back Out Ball is a spectacular celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse and Intersex elders.

The project’s social mission is informed by growing research around isolation and loneliness plaguing elderly populations; which is deemed even more acute for LGBTI+ people. Research also reveals that some LGBTI+ elders conceal their sexual, gendered or cultural identity or variation(s) when they access aged care services – because they believe they are not safe.

In Australia, these elders have lived through a time when being LGBTI+ could result in imprisonment, enforced medical ‘cures’, loss of employment and rejection by family and friends. For many, impending old age has meant some elders are going back into the closet, for fear of being deprived of companionship and quality care when they need it most.