2026 QT-Elders

Queer Aging BC (previously Dignity Seniors Society) is delighted to announce the QT-Elders for 2026.  Identified through community nominations, these four outstanding individuals further demonstrate the profound impacts that elders have had on enriching and safeguarding 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. They join our QT-Elders from 2024 and 25.

This year, we have shifted the launch date to June 27th.  This is the anniversary date of when homosexuality was (partially) decriminalized in Canada when the Criminal Law Amendment Act (Bill C-150) received Royal Assent. The changes were championed by Justice Minister at the time, Pierre Trudeau, with his landmark statement of "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.”  While we had previously focused on June 28th, the date of the Stonewall Revolution, DSS believes it is important to commemorate this pivotal milestone in queer and trans Canadian history.   

The goal of the QT-Elders Project is to identify, honour and celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ elders in British Columbia. These are individuals who have contributed to the flourishing of our communities through their leadership, altruism, and courage.