“We Are Here”: LGBTQI+ Seniors Step Into the Spotlight in Anderlecht

In Anderlecht, a moving photo exhibition titled “Nous sommes là ! / Here we are!” highlights the rich diversity of LGBTQI+ seniors and their stories. Hosted in the corridor of GC De Rinck, the show features portraits created by the Brussels Rainbow Ambassadors. More than a series of beautiful images, the exhibition invites visitors to rethink ageing, care, and queer visibility. For LGBTQI+ people of all ages, it’s a rare opportunity to see elders not as exceptions, but as an integral, proud part of our community.

Queer Elders, Front and Center

“Nous sommes là ! / Here we are!” is a photographic exhibition dedicated to LGBTQI+ seniors, created by the Rainbow Ambassadors of Brussels, an association that advocates for the rights and visibility of older LGBTQI+ people. Installed in the corridor of GC De Rinck in Anderlecht, the exhibition transforms a daily passageway into a gallery of queer memories and futures, where each portrait claims space in both the art world and public debate.

The project emerges from a simple but powerful intention: to show that there is no single way to be an LGBTQI+ senior. Visitors are welcomed into an intimate, affirming environment where identities that are often erased in discussions around ageing and care are instead placed at the center.

Portraits That Break the Mold

On the walls, you’ll find a striking gallery of people: lesbian seniors, a drag queen, a trans woman, an intersex person and many others, each captured with dignity and personality. Every photograph tells a unique story, reminding us that queerness doesn’t stop at 30, 40, or 50, and that the community spans a full spectrum of bodies, histories, and experiences.

These images are not just about visibility; they also work as conversation starters. Through their diversity—leather, softness, flamboyance, discretion, everyday life—the portraits challenge clichés about both ageing and LGBTQI+ identities. The exhibition invites younger visitors to imagine their own futures, and older visitors to recognise themselves without caricature or pity.

Care, Taboo, and the Right to Be Seen

One of the key goals of the Rainbow Ambassadors is to put the topic of LGBTQI+ seniors on the agenda, especially in the care sector. Many of today’s elders grew up in times when their identities were taboo or criminalised, and some still fear discrimination in retirement homes, hospitals, or home care services.

By presenting ten powerful portraits and related stories, the project raises questions that concern us all: How do we ensure that queer elders can be themselves in care settings? What does it mean to age with pride, without having to go back into the closet? The exhibition positions itself as a tool for awareness for professionals, families, and the broader public, insisting that inclusion must truly be lifelong.

A Brussels Story of Memory and Resistance

Set in Anderlecht, “Nous sommes là !” is part of a broader Brussels movement to bring queer issues into local cultural spaces, far from the traditional city centre and nightlife spots. By collaborating with venues like GC De Rinck and organisations such as RainbowHouse Brussels and the Rainbow Ambassadors, the project links community activism, culture, and social work.

This exhibition also builds on earlier iterations of “Here we are!” shown in Brussels cultural centres and within the Brussels Ouderenplatform (BOp), where photos were sometimes presented alongside other artworks dealing with ageing and diversity. Each new showing reinforces a clear message: LGBTQI+ seniors are not a footnote in queer history, they are living archives and active protagonists of our present.

Why It Matters for the LGBTQIA+ Community

For queer audiences, seeing elders depicted with pride—whether they are lesbian grandmothers, HIV‑positive seniors, trans women, bi or intersex people—is deeply political. It reminds us that our struggles and joys span generations, and that ageing is not a failure but part of our collective story.

The exhibition also opens space for intergenerational dialogue. Younger queers can connect with the resilience of those who came before them, while seniors can feel recognised and less isolated. In a context where visibility often stops at youth and beauty standards, “Nous sommes là !” insists that queer life remains complex, valid, and beautiful at every age.

Practical Info

• Title: “Expo des seniors LGBTQI+ : Nous sommes là ! / Here we are!”
• Concept: Photographic exhibition by the Rainbow Ambassadors of Brussels, focusing on LGBTQI+ seniors and their diversity.
• Location: GC De Rinck, Anderlecht (exhibition in the corridor of the cultural centre).
• Organisers: Rainbow Ambassadors Brussels, in collaboration with local partners and cultural actors mentioned in regional agendas.
• Dates and opening hours: Check the GC De Rinck or Anderlecht municipal agenda and visit.brussels event page for exact dates and visiting times.
• Access: Free entrance (unless otherwise indicated by the venue); the cultural centre is designed to welcome a broad public, but visitors are invited to verify detailed accessibility info directly with GC De Rinck.

Whether you visit alone, with friends, or with family, take the time to walk through this corridor of portraits and listen to what these elders are quietly, firmly telling us: we are here—and we’re not going anywhere.

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