Ten More Good Years - Trailer
In the latter part of the '60's the Civil Rights Movement made its way into the lgbt community. Across the country gay people defiantly stood up and fought for the right to be out, proud, and equal. Today, gay people are out and definitely proud; however, they are far from equal. Those who "could not take it anymore" some 40 years ago at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco, The Stonewall Inn in New York City, and elsewhere across the United States, are older now and are facing an onslaught of discrimination from their government, social service networks, and even from their own Community.
Ten More Good Years introduces remarkable lgbt elders who share inspiring stories of their lives and queer history. Via their stories governmental and social injustices are soon revealed, shedding light on what it is now, and what it will be to grow old and gay in America. Outdated tax laws, Medicaid and Medicare regulations, Social Security and inheritance laws, a lack of cultural competency within Social Services, and the need for non-discriminatory housing are all issues currently facing the Elder LGBT population. Ten More Good Years corroborates these injustices through coast to coast interviews with gerontologists, social service workers, Lawyers from NCLR, Senior Strategists from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, along with a host of other credible figures. Ten More Good Years also investigates the process and outcome of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA); an event scheduled every ten years to guide national policies on aging.
Due to the outcome of the 2005 WHCoA the very elders who fought for the right to be out, proud and equal could be forced back into the closet and silenced once again. The Elders interviewed in this film share their concerns for their own future as well as for future generations of LGBT men and women. Along with their concerns, they gently provide guidance to a younger generation who often times seems to have become complacent.
It is the hope of Ten More Good Years that through the stewardship of those that have come before us we will realize that the fight for LGBT rights is far from over and that the gaps that exist between the old and the young can only hinder our ability to progress as a unified family.
