b'2SLGBTQI+Bill and Walter are two of the 2SLGBTQI+ seniors who were interviewed for the Tool Kit video.How to better support2SLGBTQI+ seniorsA new Tool Kit from the City of Toronto can helplong-term care homes create more inclusive environmentsBy Joseph Friedman Burley"2SLGBTQI+ seniors often have to choose to return to the closet as we age or else face homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in long-term care and other support settings." "No 2SLGBTQI+ individual should experience re-closetingthey should live their lives authentically, with dignity, pride and respect, for they have earned it."Q uoted above are Heather Hay and Pink Angel, bothpartners, friends, chosen family and entire communities of whom are 2SLGBTQI+ seniors and members ofduring the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. the Seniors Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) Tool Kit working group at the City of Toronto. Hay andCumulative exposure to this kind of homophobia, biphobia Angel describe a harsh reality facing many Two-Spirit,and transphobia across the life-course shapes the needs Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex andof 2SLGBTQI+ seniors. Social isolation and mental health gender- and sexually diverse (2SLGBTQI+) seniors as theyissues, discriminatory policies in care settings, providers enter long-term care: to remain \'out\' or risk discriminationwho lack the knowledge to deliver affirming supportfrom staff and other residents. these are just a few of the challenges that 2SLGBTQI+ people face as they age. Additionally, 2SLGBTQI+ seniors 2SLGBTQI+ seniors are a diverse and vibrant group whoare an incredibly diverse group who may simultaneously fought hard to advance rights for their communities andexperience intersecting forms of oppression based on endured decades of prejudice, but their needs are routinelyother aspects of their identity such as race, religion, ability overlooked in long-term care settings. Those enteringand socioeconomic status. long-term care today came of age during the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and the infamous Toronto BathhouseThe combination of these factors can make it feel all but Raids in 1981. Some were left jobless during the Canadianimpossible to receive respectful, inclusive and affirming federal purge of 2SLGBTQI+ employees. Many lostcare, which is why many 2SLGBTQI+ seniors make the 28 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Fall/Winter 2022'