To age is a blessing and as a Black queer person, it is even more significant for me to recognize such. To be a queer elder, in today’s age, is to have defied the slaughter of the AIDS crisis, the numerous and consistent attacks on our community, and more on top of the other quarrels that can plague life — queer or not.
Zosia Zaks created the Elder Bus coming from a dream he had with his late friend Meghan Lewis, who was murdered in December of 2023. The two of them — in their 50s — recognized the need for older queer people to be able to celebrate Pride with the amenities and necessities that aging people require such as access to seating, cooler spaces, and a restroom. After she was killed, Zaks continued to realize the project in memory of his dear friend, and wants to develop it further in the years to come.
Pride, beginning as a riot, has become a celebration that despite all of the challenges our community faces, we are still here and we will remain. Accessibility in Pride is indeed an important conversation that we must have. It’s understood that as we get older, our bodies change, but those changes shouldn’t force us to be excluded from the world. I hope that 30 and 40 years from now I can gallivant through a vibrant and colorful Charles Street, whether it’s on my feet or on the bus.
