Home for the golden gays

The Golden Gays is a charity in the Philippines that supports elderly gay men. It provides help with housing, HIV and other health awareness programs, and workshops to teach the men new skills so they can make a living. As part of their fundraising efforts, the Golden Gays perform drag shows where, for a few hours, they feel young again. Lynzy Billing went to hear their stories, and photograph them in all their glory. Beaded gowns and jewelled stilettos are slung over plastic chairs at the back of a rundown, underground mall in Pasay, a city just south of Manila.

He affords it by making in-calls for massages but still has to put money aside for his hyperthyroidism treatment, which is getting worse as he ages. The apartment is one of the transient shelters and meeting places used by the group, known as the Home for the Golden Gays or Golden Gays for short. These drag shows aren't just for fun: They bring with them the promise of free lunch and two to three days' worth of groceries from local sponsors, mostly big companies looking to make good on corporate social responsibility initiatives. Often, those companies are call centers— ubiquitous across the Philippines capital. The Home for the Golden Gays used to be an actual home. First established in by Justo Justo, a well-known LGBTQ rights activist in the Philippines, it was a retirement home for gay senior citizens with little money and nowhere else to turn. These days, the "home" in their name is an ironic designation—just a day after Justo passed away in , his family evicted the Golden Gays.

On a quiet side street, tucked away from the noisy, polluted traffic of the city, there is a special place. Since Home for the Golden Gays has been a refuge for the elderly and vulnerable gays of Manila. A home for those, who have nowhere else to go, for those whose families have rejected them, and for those who simply want to be in the company of other elderly gays. What will his son think of him if he goes?

Clad in lavish gowns, bright makeup, and colorful wigs, the 'lolas' from the Home for the Golden Gays joyfully wave to the crowd and pose for photos. Golden Lolas pose for a picture as they wait for the parade to start. With troops of people in flashy costumes waving rainbow flags and dancing to the tunes of Spice Girls and Whitney Houston, the LGBT community filled the streets of Manila with love and energy. Different companies and organizations were part of the parade, but one that stood out was the group of the Golden Gays. Most of its dwellers come from the province and do not have families of their own.