Here in NYC at Lesbian and Gay Center for OLOC and SAGE Meeting

Pics above of OLOC members taken in Brooklyn, New York at SAGE/AARP conference Oct. 08.
(Marriot Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge)

Hi All,

Here I am sitting in a computer room at the Lesbian and Gay Center in New York City in the Village. Just came from an OLOC NYC Chapter OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) meeting. The OLOC women are real activists and get right to the point. Myra Brahms is the chapter organizer. I like these women. Mina and I are here for a joint AARP/SAGE Conference which is being held at the Marriot Hotel in Brooklyn near the Brooklyn Bridge. The weather is beautiful, clear and sunny.

Also saw my cousins who live in New York yesterday. Went to Central Park with the grandkids of my first cousin Helen. Her husband, Gus drove us all around Manhhattan to different ethnic neighborhoods including Williamsberg, an ultraorthodox Jewish area, and a Polish neighborhood where he likes to get sausage. What a blast we are having.

Preparing for our panel presentation on Old Lesbians Challenging Ageism: Taking Our Power. I am presenting on Research Gatekeeping for OLOC. Mina is presenting on Why over 60. Looking forward to the whole conference and networking at our OLOC table and meeting people interested in aging issues from all over the country.

I love seeing the beautiful skyline of NYC and the aestheticallly pleasing buildings, huge and tall as they are. Finally saw the huge hole in the ground that was the World Trade Center. The empty space left is very large from my perspective and the memory of what happened overwhelming to get your mind around.

Alix Dobkin, the Lesbian folksinger, is driving us around today. Enjoy her companpy. Myra had us over her place in Manhattan for a great brunch. Loved the bagels and lox and all the good delectables. It was nice to experience how a (single Lesbian) person lives in the City not just my relatives.

I am loving New York this week and looking forward to the SAGE Conference.

Posted from computer room at the LGBT Center in NYC. Manhattan NYC.

Best to everyone.

Sharon Raphael