About Us
Learn more about our mission, our team, and our commitment to the communities we serve.
Our Story
Before we came together, there was no single national voice for older 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada. Many lived without the policies, programs, and support they deserved.
In 2022, groups from across the country began talking about how to change that. Dignity Seniors Society in BC, Rainbow Resource Centre in Manitoba, and Senior Pride Network Toronto in Ontario helped lead the way. More organizations joined, united by one goal: end discrimination, reduce isolation, and create spaces where older queer adults feel safe, respected, and at home.On October 16, 2023, we became Senior Pride Network Canada / Réseau de la Fierté des personnes aînées du Canada (SPNC/RFAC) — a national non‑profit working to connect communities, share resources, and make inclusion a reality for older 2SLGBTQI+ people everywhere.
Our Mandate
Our mandate is to unite non-profit organizations, formal and informal groups, projects, and individuals who work directly for and with older 2SLGBTQI+ people across the country to champion the well-being of 2SLGBTQI+ older adults.
We will do it by:
Collaborative Hub and Knowledge Sharing for Organizations: Serve as a central point for collaboration and knowledge sharing among entities working with older 2SLGBTQI+ populations.
Advocacy: Champion systemic policy and legislative changes that protect and advance the rights of older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.
Representation: Cultivate a strong, collective voice with diverse representation across Canada.
Capacity Building: Bolster the capabilities of all involved organizations in supporting 2SLGBTQI+ older adults.
Research, Education, and Support Initiatives: Support the capacity of organizations that serve older 2SLGBTQI+ communities through research, education, and support initiatives.
Vision
A society where the lives and identities of older 2SLGBTQI+ people are respected, affirmed and celebrated, our voices amplified and heard, where we live with pride, are embraced and empowered, free from fear and discrimination, with a sense of belonging and inclusion.
Mission
Our mission is to bring together, advocate for, and represent the interests of older 2SLGBTQI+ people across Canada, fostering unity among organizations and individuals dedicated to supporting communities of older 2SLGBTQI+ people.
By facilitating collaboration, awareness, knowledge exchange, and mutual support among 2SLGBTQI+ groups and service providers for older adults, we aim to improve the quality of life and ensure the dignity and rights of older 2SLGBTQI+ people are upheld.
We strive to influence all policies in order to enact systemic, legislative, and other reforms that benefit the older 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
Values
Transparency: Commitment to open communication, transparency in decision-making processes, and accountability to communities.
Reconciliation: Acknowledging historical and ongoing oppression of Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ Elders and building respectful relationships through listening, learning, and collaboration to support healing and reconciliation.
Inclusivity: Embracing and celebrating the diversity of older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.
Collaboration: Fostering collaboration and partnership among non-profit organizations, formal and informal groups, projects, and individuals working directly with older 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Advocacy: Commitment to advocating for systemic, social, and legislative changes that protect and advance the rights of older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals across Canada.
Empowerment: Empowering older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals to become self-advocates, enabling them to assert their rights, needs, visibility, and aspirations and promoting positive change within their communities.
Respect: Respecting the lives, the intersectionality of communities, and identities of older 2SLGBTQI+ people, affirming their voices, and creating an environment where they live with pride, free from fear and discrimination.
Our Team
Our work is led by a dedicated team of passionate professionals and supported by an experienced Board of Directors and a diverse
Advisory Council. Together, we are committed to our mission. Read detailed biographies here.
Sarah Lévesque
Board Chair
Jamal Williams
Advocacy Coordinator
Maria Garcia
Community Engagement Lead
Alex Chen
Director of Operations