NEXT Magazine — 1/18/89

Prime Timer — Woody Baldwin, 68
Masha Gessen

Woody Baldwin waited over fifty years to come out of the closet. He came out in the closet when he was 13, in a town of about forty-five thousand people. He met some older men with whom he had relationships, but "you just learned to keep it quiet." Later, when he was in the service, he discovered the New York City gay life. Still later, he moved to the West Coast, where locating and meeting other gay men was relatively easy. Twenty-two years ago, he met the man who is still his lover, at a party in New York.

When the gay liberation movement began, Baldwin did not just feel sympathetic—he felt guilty. "I wasn't doing anything [in the gay liberation movement) because I felt I had to stay in the closet," he remembers. Fearing that coming out publicly would curtail his career in education, Baldwin supported the fight for gay and lesbian rights from the closet, with financial contributions. But he decided that once he retired he would make up for his inaction by volunteering his time and energy to lesbian and gay political organizations.

After retirement, Baldwin wasted no time. He approached a gay rights group with the generous offer of help for 20 hours a week. Representatives of the group, who seemed very enthusiastic about the offer, promised to call Baldwin with assignments in the near future.

After some time, Baldwin realized that the call would never come. Undaunted, he approached a different gay rights organization with an identical offer, and elicited an identical response. The call, once again, never came. The same experience was repeated with a third group.

"Ageism," says Baldwin, "is one of those things you know about, but you think: It's never going to happen to me." But after the third tacit rejection, Baldwin realized it was happening to him, and decided to go where he was wanted—to seniors' groups.

One of the groups Baldwin worked with was LEGACY (Lesbian and Gay Aging Concerns), a group far older gay men and women, organized by. then Boston Mayoral Liaison Ann Maguire. To Baldwin's disappointment, LEGACY meetings drew and average of four or five. men. Convinced that the poor turnout was due the LEGACY's failure to attract men, and not to the lack of a need for a social organization for older gay men, Baldwin decided to found a group that would more directly respond to the concerns of older gays. He shared his idea with Maguire, who gave him her blessing.

The first meeting of Prime Timers was held on August 15, 1987. In the year and a half since then group has grown to include 160 men between the ages of 40 and 84. There is, no age restriction for members, so the group welcomes all gay men who either consider themselves older or enjoy the company of older men. The two Prime Timers in their early 30s, Baldwin hopes, put themselves in the later category rather than the former. "

"Ageism," says Baldwin, "is one of those things you know about,
but you think: It's never going to happen to me."

Baldwin admits that, while he was aware that there was no social setting comfortable for older gay men, he had underestimated the scope of the problem. While older men are in fact not welcome at many gay bars, for some of them this issue is overshadowed by issues such as the death of lovers or coming out in their 60s. "I think we have all the concerns that older people have,” comments Baldwin. "Financial security, home, but in particular, companionship—because more gay people face old age alone."

Prime Timers provides older gay men with companionship, which members find at the organization’s monthly general meetings, or at the monthly dinners out, or the numerous gardening, museum and theatre events. The organization is run by a seven-person board, with Woody Baldwin as president. A monthly newsletter goes out to all the members who wish. to receive it—some men can't, because they are still living with their wife and children. The organization guarantees it’s members as much confidentiality as they desire. Every three months, Prime Timers hold raffle, the proceeds of which benefit the AIDS Action Committee. Although AIDS has not affected the older gay men as much as it has their younger counterparts, explains Baldwin, many Prime Timers are involved in AIDS service work.

Prime Timers continues growing. About four months ago, a local chapter formed in New York City. A couple of weeks ago, Baldwin attended one of the New York group's meetings-along with about sixty other gay men.

Prime Timers meet 2-4 pm on the third Saturday of every month, at the Lindemann Health Center, 25 Staniford St., Boston. You can write to the group at P.Q Box 352, Reading, MA 01867. Membership fee is $15 a year per individual $25 for couples.

34 ~ Next ~ 1/18/89