CHECK Berlin/Brandenburg #6

Community
ENGLISH
QUEER
SENIORS
"The youth
craze is over!"
What does old age do to a man?
And what challenges do gay or
trans* men face? Sebastian Menzel
and Peter Priller (picture) have the
answers, employees of the Munich
counseling center rosaAlter, which
has been looking after the issues of
queer senior citizens for 12 years.
Foto: DisobeyArt / adobe.stock.com
When does a man become a senior?
This is not a defined, but a felt state, because
it also depends on the individual living conditions.
A school class teacher, for example, will
feel old at 40; in a retirement home you will
still feel young at 65. We believe that the feeling
of getting older begins between the ages
of 50 and 65 years when you feel that at work
you belong to the elderly, as well as in clubs
or in the neighborhood. Diagnostic statements
on the subjective experience of old age can be
found in Silke van Dyk's study book “Sociology
of Age”.
As an older person, do you still have a place
in society?
Of course. Life expectancy has increased and
due to demographic change, older people are
almost in the majority. Therefore, the perception
of society is different than it was in the
1970s, when there were few retirees. 60 is the
new 40!
As a big city, is Munich a good place for
seniors?
In comparison with other large cities, life here
is probably the best nationwide. Of course,
Munich offers all the urban advantages such
as culture, medicine, infrastructure, leisure
and also an attractive surrounding area, but it
is not as hectic as other big cities.
But can you even afford this city in old age?
That depends on the living conditions. Anyone
who has money can live well here. Others
reduce costs in order to be able to pay for housing.
They accept the associated restrictions if,
for example, accessibility plays a role. Because
then moving becomes difficult and you want to
keep the apartment at almost any price.
What topics do gay seniors come to you with
for advice?
On the one hand, it is about social issues such
as pensions, financial changes, provision,
38 CHECK BERLIN/BRANDENBURG #6