QT-Elders Project

2024 QT-Elders

It is with great pride that Dignity Seniors Society announces the QT-Elders for 2024.  Identified through community nominations, these five outstanding individuals further demonstrate the profound impacts that elders have had on enriching and safeguarding 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

What better way to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Revolution on June 28th than to honour our QT-Elders? 

The goal of the QT-Elders Project is to identify, honour and celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ elders in British Columbia. These are individuals who have contributed to the flourishing of our communities through their leadership, altruism, and courage.

Meet our 2024 QT-Elders

Some may be familiar to you, but all are deserving of our respect and thanks. 

Each QT-Elder was asked to provide a personalized statement on what being an elder means to them. We hope you find their stories to be powerful, humbling and inspirational.

Alex Sangha

“Being a QT-Elder means embodying resilience, authenticity, and wisdom gained through navigating a journey marked by adversity and triumph. It’s about paving the way for future generations, and offering guidance, support, and understanding to those who follow. Above all, it signifies a legacy of courage and empowerment, inspiring others to embrace their identities and live authentically as part of the queer family.”

Please click the image to read Alex’s biography.

In Memoriam Chris Morrissey

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of Chris Morrissey this past April (2025). Respected and beloved by many throughout Canada, Chris very much embodied the principles of elderhood through her activism, integrity, generosity and kindness. Chris was part of the inaugural cohort of Q-Elders in 2024. She will be forever missed and never forgotten, and her legacy will live on for years to come.

“It is a privilege and an honour to be a Q-Elder. I am glad to have been a trailblazer and made a difference in our community.”

Please click the image to read Chris’s biography.

Gayle Roberts

“At long last, I have attained peace of mind. With my experiences of transitioning later in life, I may inspire and be supportive of others who are also considering transitioning.”

Please click the image to read Gayle’s biography.

Lukas Walther

“I feel a growing urgency to share my “I was there when ...” stories - the early, mostly undocumented years establishing trans inclusion in community and in health care - in hopes that this groundbreaking period of local history, and the hard-won progress to date, is sustained as part of the collective whole, ongoing. Perhaps younger activists will draw inspiration and strategy from these front-line accounts, gain a sense of connected continuance, and absorb some handy “self-care essentials” as well.”

Please click the image to read Lukas’s biography.

Pat Hogan

“Having friends, a community who can laugh, commiserate, applaud, organize and be there for each other.”

Please click the image to read Pat’s biography.