Thoughts on SAGE Queens and SAGE New York by Louis

This past Tuesday, I left from my apartment in College Point, Queens, New York and got on the nearest bus, the Q-65 and went to the next town over, Flushing, to the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street, where I boarded the elevated number 7 train, the Flushing local which I rode west for eight stops to the intersection of 74 Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. Jackson Heights is the main gay neighborhood in Queens – the “ghetto”, so to speak.

I was accompanied by my New York “boyfriend” of sorts, Kevin. I signed in and listened to the discussion of the meeting, led by John the Director. They have a restaurant club, a walking club, a new camera club, an art club, etc. They had already had their annual trip to Fire Island where this year they had a memorial service for lovers who had recently passed away.

One member of this club, a black man, and a veteran I think, named Claude follows the same itinerary as Kevin and I. After this meeting at Sage Queens in Jackson Heights, Queens, the three of us walk back to the 74 Street stop on the number 7 train and continue further west out of Queens and into Manhattan. We take the number 7 train to the last stop, Times Square at 42nd Street, where we transfer to the downtown (that is south) IRT local two stops to 28 Street and 7th Avenue. When we get off, we come up right by the famous gay landmark, the Fashion Institute of Technology (which, by the way, is bad English, it should be the Institute of Fashion Technology, that’s really what they mean). We cross the street and enter the building at 305 7th Avenue and take the elevator to the 15th floor.

Recently, I was chosen to be interviewed by a representative from Fordham University where the Social Work Department is trying to improve services for SAGE New York. I told the interviewer, among other things, that, like many seniors, I need affordable dental work, a hearing aid and a new pair of glasses. Medicare does not pay for any of these items. More importantly, I said there should be a gay and Lesbian French club. I noticed that some woman was holding a 6-week Italian course at Sage New York, a step in the right direction. And lo and behold, a few weeks later, I noticed that, on Friday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., there is a French Conversation meeting at SAGE New York, another step in the right direction, in my opinion. When I get back to New York City in a few weeks, if it is still meeting, I want to attend the French Conversation hour, held Friday evenings. Why not a Spanish language club?

This past Tuesday, when we arrived, in preparation for senior dinner, which is served at 5 p.m., we said hello to a group of Japanese students who were “teaching” Origami. I remembered Betsy and Gillian who went to the gay Games in Vancouver, Canada a few years ago. My point is “Think international!”, especially nowadays, when we here about the persecution of Lesbian and gay people in Russia. The Japanese students helped serve dinner. It was all quite interesting.

After dinner, Kevin and I went to the nearby Long Island Railroad station, located in Penn Station and bought 2 discount senior tickets to return to Flushing, Queens. Well, actually, Kevin is not a senior, is too young, but he is disabled so qualifies for a discount ticket. We returned to Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, NY where we boarded the Q-65 and returned home.

© 10 September 2013

About the Author

I was born in 1944, I lived most of my life in New York City, Queens County. I still commute there. I worked for many years as a Caseworker for New York City Human Resources Administration, dealing with mentally impaired clients, then as a social work Supervisor dealing with homeless PWA's. I have an apartment in Wheat Ridge, CO. I retired in 2002. I have a few interesting stories to tell. My boyfriend Kevin lives in New York City. I graduated Queens College, CUNY, in 1967.