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Spirit on Lake: Revitalizing Minneapolis with GLBT Senior Housing
Gregg Massey
Health and wellness is one thing. A stroke, heart attack, or cancer can be another. Researching retirement home options probably isn’t at the top of your to-do list. But when should you start thinking about them? About 10 years ago, Barbara Satin’s transgender friend Gayle suffered a stroke. Gayle will always be Gayle, except at the hospital. For Gayle to receive medical attention, Gayle’s name needed to return to Glenn. After witnessing this experience, Satin knew it was time to start making plans - Big Plans.
Barbara Satin is a transgender activist and founder of GLBT Generations. The idea for the organization came as she, and other members of her congregation, identified a need to tackle aging issues for senior GLBT community members. Gayle’s experience spoke to the help and support any GLBT person may someday need. Today, GLBT Generations works to educate and train senior care providers on the needs of GLBT people as they age.
In a big way, GLBT Generations is making progress. Satin, Powderhorn Residents Group Inc. (PRG), the Spirit of the Lakes congregation, and a revitalized part of Minneapolis are pioneering change at the intersection of Lake Street and 13th Avenue South. This is where Spirit on Lake is being built. It’s a new co-op housing development specifically for GLBT seniors and they are breaking ground later this year. It’s a location many developers would love to develop with more ‘traditional’ housing options. Instead, this 73 year-old transgender woman has taken the concept of a GLBT retirement community and turned it into a successful reality.