Jones-Harrison’s Rainbow Connection Creates a Safe Haven for LGBTQ+ Elders

Six months ago, Jones-Harrison Senior Living Home cemented the Rainbow Connection program, a biweekly community group for queer adults. Lavender Magazine sat down with Heather M. Stimac, the Director of Therapeutic Recreation, Music Specialist, and Entertainment Coordinator of the living facility.

What is Rainbow Connection?

“As far as the Rainbow Connection, this is actually my baby and my very important, inclusive group. What we wanted to avoid was a support group. What we wanted was an all-inclusive group,” Stimac explained that fostering anonymity and comfortability served as a driving force in the formation of the social hour.

According to Stimac, guests should feel comfortable during each meeting as members of the LGBTQ+ community or as allies in attendance.

The group meets every other Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. throughout the senior living quarters. One week, the group focuses on education, and the next, they move to education. Every decision within the Rainbow Connection functions under a voting platform.

Curriculum

Each social hour soiree begins with the designation of the rainbow friend of the week. Stimac selects the Rainbow Friend of the Week, bringing in a portrait of the notable individual along with their esteemed contributions to the community. Following the selection of the special guest comes the discussion portion of the meeting.

“I like to open it up to get their opinions and what they think or how their thoughts have changed or the members that do identify with the LGBT community what their experience was, which is very important because that’s the best learning experience for the people who have questions or are there for education and understand that,” she said.

Succeeding the discussion segment, the alliance speaks of various ways to show support to the LGBTQ+ community.

Weeks ago, the group learned about the history of the LGBTQ+ flag and its founder. By delving into the rich history of the colors of the flag, the group settled on a color to represent the Rainbow Connection.

“We designated what our color would be if we were, you know, thinking in terms of our life and what we want to represent. We kind of became a residential Jones-Harrison pride flag,” Stimac beamed.

Rainbow Fun

Besides riveting discussions and poignant educational talks, Rainbow Connection doesn’t stray away from fun-filled games and activities. For their social hours, members compete in Pride bingo nights, Pride trivia, and rainbow beanbag tosses to switch up the regularly scheduled events of the biweekly meetings.

Stimac suggests switching up the formula of the meetings allows Rainbow Connection to break away from the confines of the support group style and aim toward more of their mission of “a place of joy and togetherness.”

The name encapsulates the message of the group. “How we connect with each other in the community in our community. And the residents can connect with people in their community. And so seniors in this environment can feel that support as well, that they’re not alone, that they don’t have to be afraid. Even if there are other people that judge them,” Stimac continued. “The people in these rooms do not, and they do have friends that, whether they are LGBT community or not, they are welcoming. They are friendly. They want to know more. They have questions, and that understanding goes further when we have a group like this.”

How Does Jones-Harrison Support the LGBTQ+ Community Outside of Rainbow Connection?

When Jones-Harrison opened its doors over 130 years ago, the facility doubled as a highly religious building. Stimac says that the ideology of ingrained religion affects many members today, making them frightened to seek out community from groups like the Rainbow Connection. However, that notion continues to change each day. With the likes of Stimac and her team, the staff, and community strive to create a welcoming, warm, safe environment for guests to reach the support and acceptance they crave and need to lead honest, productive lives.

“Jones-Harrison has always been a very inclusive environment. I’m actually very proud to work here. We try to represent a welcoming environment for the LGBT+ community, even visually, the front of our building; we have rainbow flags flying with our logo,” Stimac said.

As visitors walk into the front of the building, the staff makes sure to set out LGBTQ+ literature, including Lavender Magazine, for members and visitors to peruse. The home shows LGBTQ+ cinema on movie nights and offers religious support by a queer chaplain, furthering the welcoming nature of the home.

Testimonials

Rainbow Connection succeeds in providing comfort to those in Jones-Harrison who haven’t experienced this kind of connectedness to the LGBTQ+ community before. Stimac told us some of the testimonials that arose from the past six months.

“We’ve had a man who was 72 years old, and he gave me permission to share this; came out in that group as bisexual. He never told anybody except for his wife, and he came out to the community in that group,” she remarked.

Two members of the LGBTQ+ community who live at Jones-Harrison warned Stimac of their fears before attending their first Rainbow Connection meeting. Both individuals thought the group would be a depressing, AA-style meeting, but they were pleased to learn the opposite after Stimac gave them a warm invite.

Many members joined Rainbow Connection after participating in the game days and learning about the low-stakes environment. 

“It’s really become the most special group, and I hear from residents all the time that it’s the most unique, wonderful welcoming group, and they love attending, and that’s for people who identify with the LGBT community and residents who are supporters of it. And that warms my heart,” Stimac radiated.