25 Nov Sweden opens up first LGBT retirement home
Sweden is opening its first ever retirement home specifically for the LGBT community in Stockholm.
After years of work, the future residents and supporters are meeting this afternoon to celebrate the official opening.
The retirement home, Regnbågen, translates as ‘rainbow’.
Lars Mononen, resident and association vice-chair, told The Local: ‘People have worked hard on this for several years and now it’s finally a reality’.
This ‘may be Sweden’s first gay-friendly retirement home, it likely won’t be the last’ – says vice chair of organization Lars Mononen
He added: ‘Renbågen gives us all a little bit of an extra social safety net lets us be a part of an active community. This is a place where people actually seek out contact with their neighbours, rather than try to avoid it.’
The rainbow facility will accommodate mainly for people aged 55 and over.
Responding to fears over ghettoization and how the LGBT community could become outcast, chairman Christer Fällman said it will not be seen as a ‘move back into the closet.’
He said: ‘Anyone will be allowed to live there. It will be another form of integration.’
It seems the association is also hoping that while this may be the first retirement home of its kind, it will perhaps spark a trend in Sweden for more to open up in the future.
‘I know already they are looking at doing something similar in Gothenburg,’ Mononen said.
Source: Gay star news