They lived a 'double life' for s. Now, the gay elrs are tellg their stori.

BLACK, GRAY AND GAY: THE PERILS OF AGG LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR

While battlg the vlence of Jim Crow laws and backlash om the civil rights movement, many of the folks were ncurrently alg wh homophobia and transphobia, durg a time when homosexualy and sodomy were agast the law and offered another reason for vlence. Even out gay activist Bayard Rt, one of Mart Luther Kg Jr. In a 1970 speech, Huey Newton, Black Panthers founr, said, “The women’s liberatn ont and the gay liberatn ont are our iends, they are our potential alli, and we need as many alli as possible.

But all of this, bed wh ntemporary society’s ntued ageism, racism and homophobia n mean severe systemic jtice, visibily and a lack of rourc for Black LGBTQ senrs. Who self-intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer (LGBTQ) — about 1.

Nursg hom and other long-term re facili are pecially problematic for black LGBTQ elrs, acrdg to Kenh Mchell, 62, a black gay man livg New Orleans. “People need to be able to be their te selv; beg fearful and strsed impacts your qualy of life and your physil and mental health, " add Mchell, who serv as a board member for New Orleans Advot for GLBT Elrs (NOAGE) Burgs, 65, a black gay man Washgton D. “It’s not the same as beg a young gay person; there’s ls to do, and many of our peers have died om the AIDS epimic, ” he said.

INVISIBLE NO MORE: BLACK GAY MEN OVER 50 ARE FDG THE SILVER LG

Plans ll for 15 efficiency uns, a “stone wall” on the grounds memoratg the 1969 Stonewall Inn Rts and a yellow brick road — a nod to days past when gay men would clanstely intify each other by askg, “Are you a iend of Dorothy? But his story would not mirror those of his iends whom he laid to rt, stead, would bee the impet he need to -create “The Silver Lg Project, ” a group that would impact his life and the liv of Black gay men livg wh HIV, particularly those over 50 who are often renred visible the broar Black gay, the Director of Programs at Thrive SS, an Atlanta-based non-prof anizatn dited to providg support to Black gay/bisexual men livg wh HIV, rells the moment he was lled to actn by Thrive SS Executive Director, Larry Walker, to create a space that reflected his experience as an olr Black gay man livg wh HIV. It was their first step towards creasg the visibily of Black gay men livg wh HIV over 50 and ensurg they ntued to have a sense of muny.

I LIVED UNAPOLOGETILLY AS A BLACK GAY MAN THE 70S. NOW I’M AGG WH PRI & DIGNY.

Lonels is a topic that often up for Black gay men of any age but is often tensified for men over 50.

Bridgg the gap between the Obas and younger Black gay men is a key iative for “The Silver Lg Project’s” immediate future, pecially the face of ageism and risg HIV diagnos Metro Atlanta. Reid’s advice to young Black gay men who may wre off men his age group is “to keep on livg.