" I think I lost a lot of years not being myself." NO human being should EVER have to say that.

A WONDERFUL Documentary. I came out to myself in 1969 when I was 23. I had a small group of gay friends. I was closeted to everyone else. My parents (old school Italian), my older sister by 2 1/2 years. In 1977, after years of being a gay young man, I met the love of my life. He was 25 and 6 years younger than myself. My parents accepted him although we never spoke of it. Once my sister realized I was in a gay relationship we became estranged. I haven't spoken to her since 1989 after my Dad passed away. In 2013 when it became legal, we were married in California. We were registered as Domestic Partners ever since the 80's. In 2017 he passed away. He was 66. I don't regret one year of my life. My 40 years with the love of my life was my happiest. Now at almost 78, I have friends I've known for decades that know who I am. The early days, were hidden. Entering clubs and bars through the back alley. Going to private parties. Playing the dual role because you needed to have a job. The young generation today is so lucky to be able to express their feelings so openly. I am truly so happy for them.

It's an important video and even as I'm in it there's much I learned. Working where I did in 1969 I was fortunate to never have to 'COME OUT." My family was scattered and I lived my life the way I wanted never trying to please others. I thank all those who have made life easier for our younger generations. THANK YOU

This is beautiful. THANK YOU to all our elders who have lived and thrived showing us that living authentically is the only good way to live. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

seeing the elder lgbtq couples was so touching for me.

What a beautiful film. After being out 40+ years myself, one thing I've discovered is that we each have our own stories, challenges, and life. No one is responsible for our future other than each of us. People do what they can, when they can, and with whatever energy have.

I'm crying right now because I'm 40 abd I've only been out for 5 years. I thought it was too late for me and I've never dated or had sex so I gave up on love but this set a fire in me. I'm going to find love so the next generation won't ever have to feel the way these beautiful souls and I felt growing up thinking love was not possible

OMG! It's Richard, one of my favorite Old Gay Guys!! ❤❤❤ Y'all need to check them out because those four gay guys are our people who came before us and blazed a trail for us! Thank you to all these lovely people and others whose stories didn't get told who were first and made it easier for us younger ones! ❤❤❤❤🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈😊😊❤❤❤❤

I can't thank you enough for fighting for our rights. I've only lost 2 years of not being able to be myself, and it's thanks to the progress you helped make. Every member of the lgbtq+ community, from every country, culture, language, and time period is family. Thank you for all that you've done

Many blessings to the elders of the LGBTQ+ community. And thank you for sharing your stories, I totally lost it at the end… 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

This brought tears to my eyes listening to their stories and feeling the overwhelming love for everyone who shared, whom I will probably never meet. I'm immensely grateful for their stories and saddened by the pain they endured, but I love that some of them have their happy ending, not just because they're with a partner, but because they ARE finally free to be their true selves to the world. Also, they are the history lesson we must never forget: we cannot legalise someone's love.

Dearest everyone for you contributions. This has been emotional wake up call! I appreciate all that our family have contributed to the lost history of what has become the norm!

Beautiful, brave, ballsy! Vulnerable and heartbreaking - navy job and the Rev being married at 14, never had a partner or lover but came out publicly .. Pearl coming out twice.. Years "lost" ThankYOU you marvelous magnificent warriors!! I'm 58 so a little behind you but still a beneficiary of your courage and fire.

I'm 63yrs old and perhaps a little younger than these beautiful humanbeings. However, I'm still part of their era and I can relate more with these inspiring people. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s knowing I was gay was not only confusing but scary. As I look back at the down times and difficult times it has not only built strength within me but also gave me the endurance to be exactly what I was created to be!! Everyone growing up now that is feeling gay or different in someway just remember you are unique and it will all be ok just stand tall and be proud of yourselves!! its all going to be ok, I promise!!! God Bless you all in this great and enlightening video!!!

I'm so happy that they can now be themselves, who they were all along🖤 I am so, so happy for them all🖤 Thank you for paving the way and making it easier for us all to be who we are on the inside and to show it on the outside🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

They deserve their FLOWERS...💐💐💐

Beautiful people with beautiful stories. We should all be so thankful for these pioneers and hope and push for more and more acceptance.

As a BLACK lesbian woman in America growing up in the 60s 70s 80s 90s and even the 2000s you had to keep your sexuality hidden you had to be discreet about your love interest you had to be on the low it just wasn't safe coming out back then when you are living in the toughest areas of the world BLACK parents weren't as eager to hear your coming out stories back then coming out meant you were willing to risk any and everything coming your way. You may have gotten beaten, you may have gotten disowned, you may have gotten thrown out into dangerous streets. When I came out to my mother years and years ago as very young twenty something I was screamed at hated and despised immediately and outcast shunned abandon and thrown out into the dangerous streets 😭🥵🤬😡 I had gone estranged from my beloved mom and immediate family for at least 20- 30- years by the time my beloved mom wanted to reconcile with me it was just a little to late I only had 2 weeks with her and it was only buy telephone ☎️ cause we lived in two different states mom passed away Approx two weeks later it was the saddest day of all my life the worst 😡 thing that could have ever happened to me it brings tears 😭 to my eyes 👁️ cause I was hated and despised for loving somebody who accepted me and was loving me wholeheartedly for everything that I was a gay black lesbian woman who wasn't ashamed to be me in this country that hated and despised me cause love is a blind thing ... it just doesn't see well...and you just never ever know who may interest you in this life I miss my mom immensely SORRY she never truly accepted me or my lifestyle it hurts sometimes reminiscing over my past cause I never really had closure would have been nice had only my mom apologized for hating and disowning me she left this evil world 🌍 without saying those three words" I AM SORRY really loved and adorn my BELOVED ❤️ mom😭😭😭😭 wholeheartedly

You guys have paved the way… We love you ❤

thank you for fighting for the rights and freedom we have today ❤ i am so grateful

Reverend Kennedy's style is just glorious! She's like a beautiful mermaid! 💜

Great documentary. And thank you elders for sharing yours stories. We stand on your shoulders.🙏🏾💜🌈 Not another second wasted.

This is a great documentary! I'm at my desk at work crying! Tears of happy!

Thank you. Thank you so much. You've paved the way for us and we will never forget that and we will never let that go to waste. Thank you.

I am 61 realized myself when I was 15. I met a woman who was my best friend we had a family 3 children lost one to SIDS. Together 24yrs she knew I was Bi she was called home at the age of 32. I have very precious friends that are "family"LBGT+ Thay all helped me with my 17yo and 10yo and I am still single but I had the best so it's just not fair to the rest. Be strong in who you are because you are loved and God don't make no mistakes ❤️. Peace

I felt the words, all that what you've said, but also, i'm so unbelievably proud of you.

Love it!! 🖤🖤🖤. This could easily be a multi-part series.

We love this project! Can't wait to see the exhibit! With our short film series, we tried to share that #LoveisLove, and we support every project that is about empowering #LGBTQ people and elders! Bravi!

This video made me cry. I have a several family members still hiding who they are, but I've been able to see it for a long time. Coming from a VERY ultra conservative family back ground especially the seniors have a fear of losing the love of family. To me regardless of religion or background, acquaintances friends or family need to feel safe to be themselves. No one should have to live in fear!

This was AMAZING! As a human I could totally relate! I am so glad that these folk don't have to lie on their deathbed with the grief of never being and living who they always knew themselves to be ♥.

Thank you thank you thank you. Your stories are so important and I'm so grateful to you for sharing them. I keep learning so much as I navigate my way through my identity and personality and your stories are some of the most valuable things I learn. Sending love to you all 💕✨

Can't people see how gentle and loving these people are?... Isn't that the most important thing for any of us in life?

And I thought I was ballsy for being openly bisexual as a teen in the rural south circa early 2000s! Something so magnetic about both Rev Kennedy and Pearl. Beautiful strong women And watching the former serviceman partner comfort him when he spoke about DADT was so bittersweet.

When I was in the Army in 86 it was illegal to be gay but there was so many of us. Investigators, cid as they were called would go to the gay bars to try to gather evidence to prosecute us.

Thank you for this piece. It really has made me face the fact of getting older as a gay man.

I'm heterosexual, but hearing a black elderly woman say " Being black was harder than being gay " This brought tears to my eyes. :'

It's absolutely beautiful to see how they have grown Old together and still glowing ❤❤❤❤ i feel sorry for the paul who has never had anyone in his Life

What a thoughtful, intelligent, lovely film. Thank you. I will be sharing.

Well done. Will be sharing on our social media network and beyond.

That was beautiful. I stand on these awesome shoulders. I wanna thank you all.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿💐💐💐💐❤❤❤❤

We've always been here. They may burn books and try to deny us, but we will always be here.

What a beautiful documentary. Beautiful yet bittersweet for all the years lost. Ray’s story in particular really tugged at my heart.

Beautiful love stories. Thank you so much for uploading this! 💕

My heart… 🥺 It makes me so sad to think of the emotional and mental prison they all had to live in for all those years. I’m so proud of our generation for freeing not just ourselves but everyone else that is free as a result of the truth being normalized.

Aw they are so good, so strong, so beautiful. I love it.

Thank you! That was a very inspiring and beautiful film! ❤

I whole heartedly completely LOVE AND APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

What an awesome video. I constantly be telling my LGBTQ people that freedom is not free. These are our amazing heroes and for whom I am deeply thankful because I have been bully as well. But thanks to that, I learn that gods doesn;t exist and I FREE from religion and PROUD ATHEIST. I had the honor and pleasure to meet some of these heroes who I LOVE.

Thank you for listening to generations that often seem discounted and forgotton

Thank you so much for sharing the interviews! I'm a USAF Veteran who served from 2011 - 2017 as an out and open Black American Lesbian; I joined when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was being repealed. 29apr24

This is a beautiful documentary 😢.I love the stories and the journeys shared ❤

I knew early very early. Came from a very toxic family. Married early to get away from toxic family. Married forty years. Now I'm a widow..

Thank you guys sooo much for this y’all don’t know

I loved this so much. They are so beautiful and brave. We them everything! Thank you ❤🏳‍🌈

This is beautiful 👌🏾♥️

I wish I could like this a million times 💜

❤ what an amazing contribution

This was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

Made me cry so much love in this video - so touching

The family I grew up in was very religious. I was a twenty something when I I learned my older brother was gay. He lived most of his life struggling with his sexuality. It was so sad to watch. To be “safe” he married and had a son. None of them were happy. It hurt to watch him hate himself because he believed he was a sinner. 😢😢😢😢😢😢

When I told my mother I was gay she thought I had a mental problem and needed to be cured with shock treatment but thankfully that never happened

Pearl is a true sweetheart. ❤

I don't think "lost years" is a good way to say what I think they trying to say. All years living are opportunities to learn who you are, and you journey of discovery is just that, ... Your journey of discovery.

I wish this documentary was longer no one should have to wait that long just to be themselves but that was easier said then done back in the times they came up in I cannot imagine myself in their position I probably would've been one those that would've offed myself if I had to hide who I really am from everyone pretending to be something I'm not would've been torture and I also have to say they all look so good 😍❤️

thank you ladies for paving the way for all us newer gay women......

LOVE IS LOVE....LOVE YOURSELF. FOR WHO YOU ARE!

Crying so hard. So many years wasted because of hatred.

❤ 🌈 Love our community seniors/elders, thank you for everything you have done to make it easier for the next generation ❤❤ 🌈 “we see you, we hear you, we appreciate you, we need you….”

You are the ones who paved the way for us!!!!!! We love you!

This is beautiful ❤️

hello ,this is so sad ..i'm so sorry people , had to go through this , stand in your truth . you don't owe it to anyone , to live a lie . THE MOST HIGHS BLESSINGS , to all of you . great share 😊😊😊, thank you , for sharing🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰..............

I celebrate these heroes because they fought the early battles of discrimination and bigotry. Thanks for your good fight, persistence and determination coming from a black trans woman. 💖

My heart has caught breath watching this. Thank yall. ❤

Listening to their testimonials brings tears to my eyes. Similar story here at 68 in some ways and feeling so intense about people living their authentic lives.

found this off of tik tok and i absolutely love it!!

A friend of mine is a senior and lesbian. She just came only a few years ago. Good for all of them in this vidro!!

This is the absolute SWEETEST!!!

This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you to these brave souls and many others who paved the way💕.

Crying in my office

Que hermoso, me embargó la emoción desde el primer al último segundo....❤❤❤❤

I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER HOW MERCIFUL THE LORD OUR GOD HAS BEEN TO YOU ALL, GOD DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE MAKING EITHER OF YOU WHAT HE MADE YOU. IF YOU DON’T REPENT FROM THIS BEHAVIOR YOU WILL BE JUDGED, YOUR CASE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF A SPIRITUAL ATTACK, HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SPIRIT, SATAN HAS DECEIVED YOU FOR YEARS, I PRAY FOR YOUR DELIVERANCE AND HEALING BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR LAST BREATH, BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU PROFESS THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE MADE TO BE, YOU’RE LITERALLY CALLING THE LORD OUR GOD A LIAR! GOD WOULD NEVER TEMPT YOU WITH ANYTHING THAT HE CALLS AN ABOMINATION. DON’T BE DECEIVED GOD IS NOT MOCKED🙏🏾

This is so sad, these people are beautiful people and listening to their story’s is heartbreaking. The very same thing are happening to the elderly here in Australia. A lot of Seniors are being turned away from Care Homes simply because they are Gay. I’ve been watching quite a few story’s about how Elderly Gay people are having to hide the fact that they are Gay, just so they can get into a care home. Too my way of thinking it’s disgusting that just because you are Gay. I have my beautiful Niece and God Child, who just happens to be be Gay. I could not be more proud of her, she has a beautiful 19 year old Son who is studying nursing at Uni, she has a beautiful wife who also has a 12 year old son and she’s a Radiologist. They with their 2 boys have made a wonderful life as a family for themselves and isn’t that what matters in the end. Your sexual preferences only make up a small part of your life and whether your Gay, Straight or somewhere in between, doesn’t mean a thing we all have the same colour blood and we all want to live happily and if it just so happens you were born to Gay well then so be it. People can be very cruel and I think it wouldn’t hurt for them to take a look in their own backyard’s, they just might learn something. 🎼❤️🇦🇺❤️🇺🇸💐

grand respect à toutes ces remarquables personnes qui portent leur témoignage à propos de leur orientation sexuelle,ce qu'elles ont vécu pour ce faire valoir leurs droits ...Mon coeur saigne quand je pense à d'autres gay,lesbiennes ..qui sont morts et enterrés avec leur secret sans jamais oser le dévoiler publiquement ,je suis vraiment peiné .Thank you so much Watermark Retirement C...for this emotional testimony .

Love this

Bullied throughout my childhood, I was never allowed to be myself, even though everyone called me gay.

There is still time for repentance

Rev. Kennedy rest in peace

God bless them 🙏🏽❤️🌈

Reverend looks like a goddess!

Just enthralled by their stories.

LOVE TO ALL !!!!

This was amazing!

That was beautiful. I want to hug each and every one of you for sharing your stories! Happy Pride 🌈

Ohh this made me tear up. Thank you

BLESS YOU ALL ❤❤🎉🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🤩🙏🔥 for coming out and just living your life being yourself ... as back in your Days things were harder back then than what it is now 😘😘xx

At the age of 52 i can see that living my truth as a black lesbian i am thankful i came out....at birth lol. My mama said she knew with my first breath lol god bless them.

I respect all the old school gays bc they are the true meaning of what GAY is…

Beautiful.

They are remarkable persons ❤️

Beautiful