Nakakaiyak! Love Wins sa Lolo’t Lola: Sagada Hosts Its First Senior LGBT Gathering
For one magical weekend in Sagada, the cool mountain air shimmered not just from the mist, but from the love and pride shining from the town’s first-ever Senior LGBT Gathering. Against the backdrop of pine trees and rolling clouds, dozens of “lolos” and “lolas”, proud elders from all over the highlands, came together to celebrate not only their age, but the rainbow-hued journeys that brought them here. For many, it was the first time being surrounded by people like them, their stories finally heard, their laughter echoing freely under the wide northern sky. “Ngayong matanda na kami, parang ngayon lang ako naging malaya,” shared Tito Ramon, age 67, a retired teacher from Baguio. “I thought love and pride belonged only to the young. Mali pala! Here, I don’t feel invisible, I feel seen.”
A gathering decades in the making
Organized by community advocates and supported by local allies, this historic event offered safe space, workshops, and storytelling circles for LGBT+ elders who’ve long lived in silence and shadow. The idea began as a “wishful daydream,” according to event co-founder Nanay Inday, herself an 80-year-old lesbian who hid her heart for half a century. “We seniors face double the challenge: elders na, LGBT+ pa. Parang palaging hindi ka kasali, kahit saan,” she said. Her words echo research highlighting the unique struggles of queer elders, social isolation, economic hardship, and persistent prejudice, from both the wider society and sometimes even their own communities. Their pain and courage leap from the pages of reports like the Fenway Health LGBT Aging 2025 Report, where older LGBTQ+ folks described hurtful slurs, being excluded in senior centers, and feeling “very stressful” just to exist.
Reclaiming joy, rewriting endings
Yet, in Sagada, these barriers melted, even if only for a weekend. There was singing, ballroom dancing, and late-night bonfires where “Lola Puring,” a widowed dressmaker, finally told her truth: “Babae ako, nagmahal ako ng babae. At hindi na ako magtatago.” Workshops on mental health and legal resources let elders ask questions without fear. For the first time, some even signed up for social clubs and advocacy groups, finding “found family” among fellow travelers. This kind of spirited gathering reflects the ongoing fight for equality depicted in the long history of LGBTQ rights in the Philippines, where only in recent years have elders begun to claim space and visibility. The event turned into a runway of pride, ending on a joyful “group blessing” at the Echo Valley, where participants lit candles not just for those present, but for all who never got to see a day like this.
From silence to celebration
It wasn’t just a party, it was a healing. As one senior put it, teary-eyed after joining her first same-sex waltz in public, “Love didn’t leave us. We just needed to find each other again.” Their courage, tenderness, and laughter stand as a radiant reminder: Love wins, no matter the age. In the cool glow of Sagada’s sunrise, the promise was clear, this is just the beginning.
Share your own stories, Lola’t Lolo, or drop by our next gathering! The journey to visibility and joy continues, with heart, sass, and soul.
