The Impact of the Pandemic
During the pandemic many members of Fawcett’s community experienced profound depression, loneliness, and disconnection. For a few, this tragically resulted in them taking their own lives. A significant theme among these unfortunate suicides among gay men was isolation and difficulty around aging, sex, and intimacy. It is well known in the gay community that aging often brings a sense of being “invisible.” There is an outsized emphasis on physical appearance and sexuality. For those who are aging and without the internal resilience to feel good about themselves, this raises enormous issue.
Out of these tragedies came Fawcett’s inspiration to create a workshop addressing these concerns. The result was “Life’s Spectrum: An Examination of Aging, Sex and Intimacy among MSM.” Fawcett, who is not only a psychotherapist but also a sex therapist, integrated several areas of expertise into this six part workshop. The program begins with concepts about sexuality and continues on to issues of validation and body image. This is followed by an examination of ideas about sex and sexual expression. For example, sexual desire never disappears as we age but it may change form. Research shows that touch is an extremely healing form of intimate connection especially as we age. The workshop concludes with an examination of relationship styles.
Recognizing the value of this workshop, The Our Fund Foundation (an LGBTQ philanthropy) funded the presentation of this program at Sunserve, a local LGBTQ mental health agency (clinical team shown in photo). The men who have attended this program have noted that they benefitted not only from the content of the workshop but the process as well. This allowed them to form healing connections with others. It is a strong reminder that all of us need intimate connection at any age, be it with a partner or a close circle of friends.