'To live an authentic life': LGBTQ2S+ seniors living in Toronto reflect on Pride

As a young man growing up in the Maritimes, Arthur Robichaud longed for broader horizons in the form of acceptance.

“I knew there was an openly gay atmosphere in the city,” Robichaud said in an interview from Fudger House, a Toronto long-term care residence known for its supportive LGBTQ2S+ programming and community.

“Back in New Brunswick,” he explained. “They weren’t too hot on that stuff.”

Robichaud moved to Toronto in his 20s and has called the city, and now Fudger House, home ever since.

"[Toronto] changed my life," he said. "I'll never regret coming here."

Although he found much of the culture he was looking for when he moved, it was “no picnic,” he emphasized. There was a lack of commercial social events for gay men at the time, he explained, and they were often forced to meet at personal parties prone to police intervention.

"They'd come and break it up," he said. “It could be degrading at times."

The Silver Rail, one of Toronto’s first cocktail bars located on Yonge Street, eventually became a frequent locale for Robichaud, and he began to expand his community in the city.

“There was just more openness, more choice,” he said.

The Silver Rail, formerly on Yonge Street. (City of Toronto Archives)

Robichaud is one of Fudger House’s 250 residents. To celebrate Pride month, the facility’s residents were invited to several events, including a Pride barbeque, drag bingo and performances, LGBTQ2S+-themed movie nights, and joint parties with non-profit organization The 519.

Arthur Robichaud, left, can be seen alongside Denise Moore, right, both residents of Toronto's Fudger House. (CTV News Toronto)

Denise Moore, another resident, was tasked with raising the facility’s Pride flag in early June to kick off the month’s festivities.

Moore has known herself to be a woman all her life, she told CTV News Toronto in an interview from Fudger House. However, it wasn’t until her later years, after she had the chance to attend a number of support group sessions at The 519, that she had the opportunity to undergo gender-affirming medical care.

“It’s much better to be yourself, to live an authentic life,” Moore said.

Living at Fudger House, Moore says she feels that acceptance.

“The staff here, they know me, they accept me without asking,” she said.

Both Robichaud and Moore walked in the Toronto Pride Parade on Sunday, alongside staff and volunteers from the home. They joined approximately 140 long-term care residents from across Toronto, their family members, staff, volunteers, and community members to form the Senior Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) Pride contingent.

The Senior Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) Pride contingent. (City of Toronto handout)

Fernando, a personal support worker who’s been employed with Fudger House for more than a decade, told CTV News Toronto the community and support they’re able to provide is a labour of love.

“We are not directed to do this,” Fernando explained, referring to the additional support and programming offered to enhance the home’s LGBTQ2S+ culture and community. “It comes from within and it just keeps growing.”

Many of the staff at Fudger House are queer themselves, the City of Toronto said in a statement, and in turn "interact with residents through a deep-rooted understanding of how we as humans deserve respect and need to feel cared for and included."

On Sunday, Fernando and Robichaud donned matching Pride t-shirts – Robichaud in his wheelchair and Fernando pushing him through the downtown streets as he waved to paradegoers and took in the celebrations. When asked what advice he would give to the younger generations navigating their sexual and gender identities, Robichaud said to “keep it fluid and consider the options.”

“What you feel at 20 [years old] can be totally different than what you feel at 40,” he said. “That’s okay.”

Moore urged those who may be questioning their identities to visit support groups like The 519 where they can hear from others who have lived through similar experiences.

“Soak up all the knowledge you can get.” 

Arthur and Fernando can be seen above. (City of Toronto handout)