Introducing the Silver Pride: Seniors LGBTQ+ take their place in the Pride with Misterb&b and BETC
"After years of absence, it's truly moving to be back on the path of the Pride, all together, while we thought we would never be able to do it ever again" Aline watches the Pride that goes by, waving enthusiastically to the young people who greet her in return and passionately waving a rainbow flag. But Aline is not just any participant – she isn't in the midst of the crowd but is following the parade from the balcony of the 1st floor of a Parisian apartment, accompanied by a dozen other guests from her generation, LGBTQ+ seniors.
While seniors are the ones who fought in the 70s to carve out a place for the LGBTQ+ community in the eyes of the world, they regret not being able to actively participate anymore and feel invisible when the day of Pride arrives. Every year, the Pride brings together hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Paris, but the conditions under which it takes place have made it an inaccessible event for seniors. They can't afford to spend an entire afternoon walking for several kilometers in the middle of a crowded, loud music-filled environment, especially during the scorching summer temperatures.
That's why misterb&b - the World’s Largest LGBTQ+ Travel Community - and "Les Audacieuses et Les Audacieux" – an association dedicated to promoting the well-being of senior LGBTQ+ individuals –challenge BETC to give them a place of honor this year.
The answer? The Silver Pride: all the mister&b apartments along the parade route have been reserved to the seniors, allowing them to enjoy the Pride in an unprecedented way, from the balconies and windows. These appartments have been designed to welcome them, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd but still close to the overall joyful atmosphere, ensuring that the Silver Pride remains a "movement of togetherness" as Aline likes to describe it.
To make the participating seniors visible from every balcony and window and to further amplify the power of the Silver Pride, the iconic Pride Flag has been redesigned by the misterb&b and BETC’s team by adding a new color: silver, symbolizing the senior generation and paying tribute to their fight and legacy. Thus, Aline and 80 other seniors were able to shine from the windows and balconies of the 8 apartments provided to them. Throughout the day, the new flag quickly spread through the entire Pride crowd, proudly displayed by the younger generation as a sign of support.
“As part of the LGTBQ community I wanted to do something that really makes a difference. Everyone ignores the hardships that LGTBQ+ people face as they get older. Most individuals don’t have children and loneliness and depression are common. That’s why Silver Pride is such an important initiative. It brings them back to Pride and makes them feel supported and embraced by their community” says David Martin Angelus, Creative Director at BETC.
After Paris, BETC and misterb&b take the Silver Pride even further, joining the Europride in La Valette (Malta – September 7, 2023) and the Pride in Atlanta (USA – October 15, 2023): www.misterbandb.com/fr/pages/silver-pride
