Aug 17, 2001 Cincinnati

Founder Shares History with Ohio Prime Timers
Douglas Braun

"You saved my life. I was ready to commit suicide."

These words had a powerful effect over a crowd of 110 older gay men and their younger friends at the Tri-State Prime Timers meeting August 12. Founder Woody Baldwin was recounting the grateful words of a new member.

Baldwin has heard these same words two other times since starting Prime Timers, a social organization for gay and bi men over 50 and their admirers. Prime Timers currently has 55 chapters throughout the world. The largest chapter is in Palm Springs, California, with over 1,400 members. In addition to Tri-State (Cincinnati, Kentucky, Indiana), Ohio has chapters in Columbus and Cleveland.

The group got its start over 20 years ago. In the 1980s, Baldwin retired as a college professor, and was interested in volunteering for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. He met with someone from a local gay organization and explained his desire to serve the community. At the end of the meeting the man thanked Baldwin for his interest and said, "We’ll call you." Baldwin waited, but heard nothing. He met with someone from another organization. He was told, "We’ll call you." After his third attempt with yet another organization it became apparent that ageism was the barrier. He put his volunteerism on hold.

While visiting in New York City, Baldwin and his partner Sean O’Neill went to a bar where the crowd was mostly older gay men. They had a great time dancing, talking and having fun. When they returned to their home in Boston, Baldwin thought it would be nice to try to get a group of older gay men together there. He talked with friends and acquaintances and got enough interest that he planned a meeting. As the day approached, a heat wave hit Boston. On August 15, 1987 they had record temperatures and the media was urging that "all elderly people stay indoors." Baldwin worried about how many men would show up.

"I’ll be happy if I have eight," he told himself.

He was delighted when 42 men came to this first meeting of Prime Timers. After the success in Boston a group formed in New York. Next was Austin, then Dallas, then chapters "began popping up all over," he said. Since its beginning, Prime Timers has been a social organization, not intending to venture into politics. Baldwin’s philosophy focuses on gay men having opportunities to socialize.

"If older gay men can be as happy as when they were young, we will have reached our goal."

Woody Baldwin visited the Columbus chapter of Prime Timers on August 15, and attended the Cleveland chapter’s meeting. In addition, Baldwin was the guest speaker at the August 20 meeting of Insight, a social and networking group for GLBT professionals in the Cleveland area.

Condensed from The Gay People's Chronicle. Douglas Braun is a gay social worker in the field of aging.

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