A Place to Live: The Story of Triangle Square - LGBT seniors in search of affordable housing

SYNOPSIS

The scarcity of affordable housing is a deepening national crisis. As the baby boomer generation approaches retirement, the number of older adults affected by this issue escalates disproportionately. LGBT seniors in particular face unique challenges, as they are often discriminated against, forced back into the closet in retirement homes or separated from their significant others in assisted living facilities.

A Place to Live follows the journey of seven individuals as they attempt to secure a home in Triangle Square, the nation's first affordable housing facility for LGBT seniors. Since demand far exceeded the number of available units, a lottery system was established to select who would live in the complex – not everyone will be chosen.

A Place to Live is both a moving portrait of gay and lesbian seniors on the fringe of our community and the triumph of the opening of this historic building.

A Place to Live addresses fundamental issues facing our culture and society at large and closely observes what it means to be old, gay and getting by on limited resources.

www.aplacetolivemovie.com
BITTERSWEET PRODUCTIONS
NOCO MEDIA GROUP
©2008 Elder Housing Project LLC

A Place to Live: The Story of Triangle Square

Director Carolyn Coal followed the journey of seven older adults as they attempted to secure a home in Triangle Square, the nation’s first affordable housing facility for LGBT seniors.

The resulting documentary, A Place to Live: The Story of Triangle Square, is both a moving portrait of gay and lesbian seniors on the fringe of our community and the triumph of the opening of this historic building. Carolyn is extremely passionate about the issues facing older adults and believes the discrimination seniors face is unacceptable.

Unless we work together as a community today, we will be confronted by the very same frustrations and difficulties that many older LGBT adults face now.

Q&A with Carolyn Coal

How did the initial idea for “A Place to Live” come about?

In the summer of 2006, Cynthia Childs (one of the film's producers) saw the construction site for Triangle Square in Hollywood. Struck by the cultural and historical significance of the building and its potential occupants, Cynthia approached Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH), the nonprofit corporation that was facilitating the building in association with the developers, McCormack, Baron & Salazar. When GLEH agreed to allow us access to the process for finding residents, we started shooting! Our main goal was to find 5-7 seniors who would allow us to film them through the lottery process. Since the number of applicants would be greater than the number of apartments, a lottery was used to pick the first residents.

“Winners” would be able to move in as soon as March 2007; others would have to wait for their chance at a safe home. The Triangle Square project seemed like the perfect backdrop to explore the lives of the gay and lesbian seniors who forged a path for us.

What has been most surprising about the seniors who are profiled in A Place to Live?

I’m truly inspired by the seniors in our project - their stories are so powerful. One woman came out in east LA in 1947, joined a gang, transported prostitutes and was arrested for “masquerading”, a city ordinance that stated that women must wear a certain amount of female clothing. Another woman marched on Washington. One gentleman designed floats for the Rose Parade. The diversity of their stories was astounding and I was overwhelmed with emotion when speaking with them. I think what surprised me most was not the seniors themselves, but the fact that they are so marginalized in our community. There is a misconception that all gays are young, fabulous and wealthy - but we’re not. We are all ethnicities, all socio-economic levels and all ages. I hope our film will bring attention to this issue of neglect and marginalization.

This is your first documentary feature, what other films have influenced your work and overall style?

I’d like to think there’s an aspect of “non-fiction” in all of my projects. The interview process fascinates me. As with the seniors in our story, I feel it’s a privilege to have such intimate access to individuals. I came through film school with a particular interest in non-fiction film. Directors like Errol Morris and the Maysles brothers were a great influence. But, Shirley Clarke’s “Portrait of Jason” had an enormous impact on me. This was a rare jewel of a film about a black, cabaret performer and hustler living in Manhattan in the late 60’s. The uncomplicated rawness of her locked frame was as riveting as her character. Elements of this film are echoed in A Place to Live.

What are your goals as a filmmaker?

My goals are twofold: honor your characters and engage your audience. You’re giving me two hours of your time, and possibly numerous hours of additional contemplation.

How can I engage you? Excite you? Involve you? And, the simple answer to all of these questions is “character.” Honoring a character, both from an emotional and formal point of view through the construction and arrangement of their arc, makes for an engaging story. We worked very hard to honor the characters in A Place to Live, the seven seniors we followed, as well as Triangle Square itself.

A Place to Live

Click here to see the promo: http://www.youtube.com/medialicious

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

The explosive growth in our nation’s aging population coupled with the recent housing market crash has set the stage for a major crisis. Until now, no one has addressed how this issue is impacting gay and lesbian seniors, individuals who have long been denied fundamental human rights and often struggle to make ends meet.

Join us in the creation of A Place to Live, a historic documentary that will chronicle the journey of seven brave individuals as they attempt to secure a home in Triangle Square, the nation’s first affordable housing facility for LGBT seniors. Your financial contribution is critical to help us complete the film and ensure that their story is told.

* * *

For the seniors featured in the documentary, their future is anything but certain. Each participant faces a number of personal challenges:

• Margo must work two jobs in order to pay her rent, but with her failing health she won’t be able to keep it up.
• Art is lonely and isolated in his Section 8 Housing unit in east L.A. He yearns to live in a community of his peers.
• On the verge of homelessness, Karen’s only option is to move to a rundown trailer park in El Monte. It’s the best her sons can afford for her.
• Don’s house is old and falling apart, but he can’t afford to fix it. The roof is already leaking and the raining season has just begun.

Although each senior applied for an apartment in Triangle Square, they are not guaranteed a unit. Since demand far exceeds the number of available apartments, a lottery system was set up to determine who will be selected. A Place to Live is an exploration of the applicants’ personal stories and the journey that brought them to the lottery. If they are chosen, the building is a dream come true - a beautiful, safe place to grow old, in the company of their peers. If not, many seniors will be forced to remain on the fringe of our community hoping for another lifeline to appear.

We need your support in order to share these intimate, thought provoking stories with our community. Please act now by going to the link below and making an on-line tax-deductible donation to the project. Donations can also be sent to the Center for Independent Documentary at the address below. Any amount of money will make a significant difference in our efforts. If we can raise $42,000 by the end of April, we can finish the offline edit, music score and obtain archival footage.

Together, we can make certain that those who fought for many of the rights we enjoy today are guaranteed a voice in the struggle for non-discriminatory affordable housing. The documentary, A Place to Live is that voice.

"If I were to get a space in the building,
I would think that all the things that
I've worked so hard for would be fulfilled;
that it would be a very fulfilling way to go to the end of my life in Triangle Square.” Karen Dickinson

We thank you.

To donate online, follow this link and select “A Place To Live” from the drop down menu asking for the purpose of your donation:

https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=10065

Or send your check to:

Center for Independent Documentary
680 South Main Street
Sharon, MA 02067

Please note “A Place To Live” in the memo section of your check.

Click here to see the promo: http://www.youtube.com/medialicious

Filipinos: The Asian Jews?

My sister and I were talking in the car today and she mentions off handedly that she's such a Jew... what? She then clarifies that Filipinos are the Asian Jews. I again say whaaaat? She goes on to compare how Filipino and Jewish families have: 1) a domineering mother 2) dysfunctional families 3) are cheap. I really didn't know how to respond to her aside from the first thought that crossed my mind (slap her). But then I started to consider what she said and finally have some kind of a response after thinking about it the rest of the day.

Filipinos and Jewish families do have powerful women, specifically mothers that can be dominant in the family chain of command. Yes, mothers can guilt trip you into doing something you wouldn't normally do, nag you about marriage and whom to marry, and adding religion into many conversations. But then what makes Filipino mothers different from Jewish mothers aside from the religion? Assuming both want the best for their children, usually assume that they know best for the kids like any parent, and want grandchildren... what sets them apart? How the families interact?

Family dynamics doesn't set them apart either though as any family whether Jewish, Asian, Black, White, Latino, Muslim, or Hindu are dysfunctional or as some would put it, "normal". There's always some family scandal lurking beneath the surface, some black sheep of the family, some divorces and marriages family members don't approve of, and of course religion being thrown into the mix. The notion of a "normal" family doesn't exist outside of the Leave it to Beaver world where no one is gay or non-white. Most families are complex, way beyond the imaginations of the Hollywood industrial complex. Every family has to deal with at least something like a gay child, a strained relationship with siblings, marriages with divorces and re-marriages, and the occasional rivalry between families.

If neither strong mothers nor crazy families set Filipino and Jewish families apart, then being cheap isn't going to either. Yes, being frugal is something that many families are used to... unless your The Trumps. But Filipinos can be thrifty due to saving up for a house, a car, something. I'm not sure what Jewish families save for aside from the same things... college, homes, cars, just for the hell of it. But many families do the same thing... so it's not like that is unique for Filipino or Jewish families. Not everyone can be born into the Fortune 500... sometimes you have to save and work hard for it.

And with that running in the back of my mind I figured out that it's not that Filipinos are Asian Jews, we all are just human: we dream, we live, we fight, we love, we hope, and we drive each other nuts from time to time. Just like when my sister opened her mouth earlier that day.

Sincerely,

CoffeeAddictMike

Loyalty is a two-way street... so are friendships.

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Clay’s death is nowhere near as tragic as the demise of Spashly.

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__________________________________________________________

The path to sameness

So the LGBT Presidential Debate Forum was quite interesting... enough to show the LGBT Americans and their supporters that we still have a long way to be equal with everyone else in the country. Aside from the usual talkaround by all the major candidates, they keep reiterating the line that they did as best they could... While that is nice, I want more bolder steps to be taken. So do many in the community.

There are those who remember the 1990's when Bill Clinton took office and had amazing hopes of change occuring. By the end of the decade the hopes and dreams faded, brushed aside by other things that took over priority. Though I doubt that a sex scandal is what I would consider a priority, LGBT Americans were talked about when votes, donations, and issues were presented in the forefront of election cycles. And that is annoying.

So what do we look forward to in 2008? No one really knows but there is some agreement that a Democrat in the White House is easier to swallow than a Republican. At least we know what we get. And a lot of skepticism of course... and some reassurance that we'll get the same old service that we got from the first President Clinton... perhaps from another next year.

Sincerely,

CoffeeAddictMike

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Chart your course to a brighter future

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Get the gear

From T-shirts to messenger bags, we’ve got the goods to show you’re open to progression. Check out the CeleGAYtions store today.

Want more?

Read previous editions of Cyn’s commentary for a hardy helping of nonsense.

Visit www.CeleGAYtions.com for the weekly scoop on what’s in for the out.

__________________________________________________________

Obama Launches Gay Pride Web Site

As you know, tonight is the HRC/LOGO-sponsored Presidential Forum on LGBT issues. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson will be participating. Chris Dodd withdrew late last Friday, citing scheduling conflicts, and Joe Biden is not participating. He also said scheduling conflicts were to blame.

Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are holding dueling fundraisers in West hollywood to coincide with tonight's events.

As a preface to tonight's event, Barack Obama today announced the formation of a National LGBT Leadership Council, headed by his campaign's national LGBT liaison, Stampp Corbin.

It's unclear what the role of Obama's National LGBT Leadership Council will be, other than to reflect his support within the LGBT community to potential voters. Edwards flashed a similar list in April. Obama also announced that house parties will be taking place across the nation concurrent with tonight's "gay debate". The senator also recently launched an "Obama Pride" section of his campaign website, capped with a flashy rainbow logo (above right).

The members of Obama's National LGBT Leadership Council:

Stampp Corbin, National LGBT Liaison, Obama for America; Former Human Rights Campaign Board Member; High Tech Entrepreneur
Terje Anderson, VT, Former Executive Director for the National Association of People with AIDS
Tom Barbera, NH, Board Member, Bay State Stonewall Democrats and Vice Chair, SEIU National Lavender Caucus
Paris Barclay, CA, Emmy Award Winning Producer and Director
Michael Bauer, IL, Community Activist
Tommy Bennett, IL, Radio Personality, Tom Joyner Show
Rosalyn Bugg, CA, Community Organizer
Phil Burgess, IL, National Director, Pharmacy Affairs, Walgreens
Ed Butler, NH, State Representative
Beth Bye, CT, Connecticut State Assemblywoman
Thomas Chaderjian, IL, Stonewall Democrats
Gary Cloutier, CA, Councilmember and Vice Mayor, Vallejo
Jon Cooper, NY, Suffolk County Legislature Majority Leader
Craig Covery, MI, Councilman, Ferndale City
Terry Crow, MO, Attorney
Chris Diebel, IA, Business Leader
Karla Drenner, GA, State Representative
Bevan Dufty, CA, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Rick Garcia, IL, Director, Equality Illinois
Carlos Garza, IA, Chair, Des Moines Pride
Richard Gordon, Supervisor, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Nancy Greaney, NH, PFLAG New Hampshire
Greg Harris, IL, State Representative
Wendy Howell, VT, Community Organizer
Chris Hughes, IL, Founder, Facebook; Obama Campaign Director of Online Organizing
Harold Janeway, NH, State Senator, PFLAG Member
Vincent Jones, CA, Executive Director, Center for Health Justice
Nicole LeFavour, ID, State Representative
Ed Lehman, CA, Union Organizer
Robert Lilligren, MN, VP, Minneapolis City Council
Gordene Mackenzie, MA, MA Transgender Political Coalition
Sharon Malhero, IA, Activist
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, MA, Harvard University
Darryl Moore, CA, Berkeley City Council Member
Ed Murray, WA, State Senator
Nancy Nangeroni, MA, MA Transgender Political Coalition
Michael Noll, CA, Vice Mayor, Signal Hill
Renae Ogletree, IL, Community Organizer
Paul Provost, MN, Business Manager
Rebecca Prozan, CA, Chair, Alice B. Toklas Club
Nicole M. Ramirez, CA, City Commissioner, San Diego
Tonyia M. Rawles, CA, Bishop-Elect, Unity Fellowship Church Movement
Donna Red Wing, CO, Activist
Dr. Penny Robbins, IL, Reverend
Gene Robinson, NH, Bishop
Robert Ryken, IL, Attorney
Deborah Shore, IL, Commissioner, Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Stephen Smith, CA, Former DNC Member
Eric Tabor, IA, Chief of Staff, Attorney General Tom Miller
Maxim Thorne, NJ, Former Executive Director, Head Start New Jersey
Dr. Leanne Tigert, MA, Minister
Lew Todd, NY, Founding Member, Stonewall Democratic Club, Gay Activists Alliance, National Gay Task Force
Tom Tunney, IL, Chicago Alderman
David Upthegrove, WA, State Representative
Tawnee Walling, NH, Director of Seacoast Outright
Gene Webb, IL, University of Chicago
Richard A. Wilson, IL, Chair, National Lesbian and Gay Law Association
Tobias Barrington Wolff, PA, University of Pennsylvania Law School