After many years of planning and fundraising, Europe's first gay nursing home has opened in Berlin, with out-and-proud gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit publicly supporting the groundbreaking project. "The idea was first proposed at the Gay and Grey Forum in Cologne in 1995 and we began drafting plans in 2001, and it is truly amazing that it has taken all these years to become a reality," says Christian Hamm, a Berlin-based architect and nursing home board member. "So we are even more pleased and proud that we have finally been able to open Europe's first full-service nursing facility for elderly gays and lesbians." The newly built, four-storey nursing facility in the Pankow district of the German capital can accommodate 28 patients in state- of-the-art rooms with private bathrooms and enough space for some of their own furnishings. Furnishings and decor are very important in a gay environment, says Hamm. "When you are old," he says, "the last thing that you want to do is to have to hide. And you certainly don't want to give up your identity and live in some hostile environment, possibly sharing a room with someone who despises you." Potential residents are already signing up and have expressed delight at the prospect of living out their twilight years in a gay-friendly environment. "I wouldn't like to be in a heterosexual environment all the time," one applicant says. "Elderly people like to talk about their children and their grandchildren, for instance. A large number of homosexuals do not have children and find it hard to join in. For us, talking about the grandkids is awkward." Mayor Wowereit, 54, who was elected in June 2001 after telling Berlin voters, "I'm gay and that's good," has actively supported the project and says it dovetails into his vision of Berlin. "Berlin is a gay-friendly city, a city of tolerance," the mayor says. "And I represent our city with this message. Berlin has the biggest gay and lesbian scene in Germany and we welcome gays of all ages."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 20th January 2008 - 10:19am