Community

On October 13, Ribaudo will marry his longtime partner Joe Posa. They’ll celebrate their reception, which after certain hours will be open to the whole community, at Club Café. That’s because their wedding coincides with a second reason to celebrate. October marks the 30th anniversary of Club Café, which has become iconic in New England’s gay scene. For one generation, it has been a community center: a comfortable second home filled with old friends. For another, it’s a party palace: where stepping inside, grabbing your first drink, and scoring your first date has become a veritable rite of passage. And Club Café shows no sign of slowing down.

Maine is the most recent state to allow gay marriage, and the first in the nation to have the law approved by a majority of voters at the polls. Following the passage of the gay marriage law, many in the state have wondered: “What’s next?” After all, marriage is the default panacea of gay rights, and Maine ranks in the top ten states in the nation for gay-friendly laws. Another distinction? Maine has the oldest population in the U.S. with more than 300,000 elders age 60 and over. It is estimated that 15,000 of them are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. For many, the reality of old age comes, hits when one is faced with the reality of what it means to be senior.