Arts company All The Queens Men has invited our Brisbane elders to the fabulous and free LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club this weekend.
Bec Reid and Tristan Meecham are founders of All the Queens Men. They began the LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club in Melbourne in 2016.
In 2018, they staged the inaugural Coming Back Out Ball in Melbourne, which was filmed and featured in a movie of the same name.
Since then, they’ve spread the events across the country, including to Brisbane.
Sadly, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse elders feel they must go “back into the closet” to access aged care and social support services.
Many elderly people experience isolation and loneliness, but this is particularly acute for our LGBTIQ+ elders, Meecham says.
That isolation intensified at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, All The Queens Men moved the social dance club events online.
Last September, they met in-person again at the Coming Back Out Brisbane event.
Now Tristan and Bec are inviting Brisbane’s LGBTIQ+ elders and allies to a monthly series of social dance events, supported by the Brisbane Festival.
“[The events are in] the old traditions of tea dances and queer traditions, coming together in an afternoon of good food and catering and joy,” he explains.
“It’s gentle, comfortable, lots of socialising, with drinks and toasts and speeches and opportunities to break out into dance.
“It’s a chance to build community over a period of time.”
All The Queens Men’s LGBTIQ+ Elder Dance Clubs are monthly
The LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Clubs in Brisbane are monthly. The next one is on this Sunday (July 18) and another on August 15.
All The Queens Men are also planning a larger Brisbane gala event for September.
Tristan Meecham says each safe, joyous and inclusive dance club event is open to everyone to attend. No dance experience is necessary.
The LGBTIQ+ Elders Dance Club is on July 18 from 2pm at the The Newmarket Hall in 212 Ashgrove Ave, Ashgrove. To RSVP, visit the Brisbane Festival website.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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