Home for the Golden Gays

The Home for the Golden Gays is a Philippine non-profit organisation founded by lawyer and activist Justo Justo (1941-2012) in 1975. Justo envisioned "a care home for aging members of the outcasted gay community". After his death, the community were evicted and some members became homeless. Only in 2018, they started renting a house again (via and via and via). Its status, however is still precarious since the shelter depends on irregular and insufficient donations. The elderly residents continue working, giving performances or side gigs as street vendors or haircutters. It is no coincidence that the official slogan they chose is "Don't get sick" (via).

To be old and LGBT can be particularly difficult. Official statistics on the elder LGBT community remain scant, but a survey of LGBT-identifying Filipinos aged between 50 and 74 released in June found that 40% of respondents lacked money for necessities like food and medication. According to the survey, 48% of the respondents feared losing their homes within 2022. Some were unstably housed and others said they lived on the streets or in parks. (via)

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photograph by Hannah Reyes Morales via