Taking Pride

Every June, we talk about the fact that it is Pride month, and we celebrate the unique characteristics of our staff, elders and community. We do that through our special Unity Project.

The Unity Project consists of an outdoor installation of poles. There is a central pole and surrounding it, placed at least 8 or 10 feet away, are 12-15 other poles, creating a wide circle. At the bottom of each of the outside poles are signs that contain identifiers, characteristics with which someone might identify. Some of them say “I am single” or “I have a life partner.” They may say “My family comes from Europe (or Asia or Africa etc.)” They may cover areas like “I am a parent,” or “I am an animal lover,” or “I work two jobs.”  And they also include “I identify as LGBTQ.”

As we begin the project with an opening ceremony, we talk about the unique identifiers that each of us has.  We each take a skein of yarn and tie it around the center pole. Then we walk to the poles that are marked with the identifiers that we relate to, we wrap our yarn around and return to the center and tie it once again.  During the process, we crisscross yarns, raising them as high as we can towards the top of the poles.  A shape begins to emerge, like a web of yarn, coming together in color and density to create a living outdoor art installation.

During the weeks that the Unity Project stays in place, we have many interesting conversations with elders and staff.  We have had elders indicate that, while they do not identify as LGBTQ, a child or grandchild does, and they want to loop their yarn around that identifier as a sign of support. We’ve had staff who have disclosed some of their gender and/or identification preferences, feeling a sense of safety sparked by the open acceptance of the Unity Project.

Our closing ceremonies give people a chance to share their experience and their feelings. And to stand under the canopy of this art and appreciate the diversity that is our unity, the diversity that is our strength.

In our world of older adult services, we are dedicated to seeing each person as an individual, to meeting them where they are, to understanding that, regardless of age or stage or disease or disability, we are all doing the best that we can. The Unity Project reinforces that commitment as well. In our differences lie strength, in our diversity lies understanding, in our acceptance and appreciation of one another lies success.