“I’m looking for a connection,” Danny Rios died.
Rios sits on a round folding table decorated with a Valentine’s Day heart core. In the background, the seniors arrive at Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance with Someone.”
“Just kidding!” Rios, 71, laughed.
From left, Danny Rios, Yvonne Mullet and Haruhiko Noyama dance together at the Valentine’s Day celebration at the LGBT Center in Los Angeles.
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
This is a Valentine’s Day dance for seniors at the central location of the LGBT Center in Los Angeles. In the distance of the room, handicrafts for Valentine’s Day are arranged. Dancing hearts adorn the hall windows.
But for many attendees, the party’s expectations are increasing, and more talked about the opportunity for community and connection.
“I like being with people,” Rios said. “Life is too short. You have to go to others!”
Carmelita Gabriel, 77, is a regular on the dance floor and often commutes from Alhambra to attend the center’s activities.
“I met a lot of people here, not just staying at home alone,” she said. “I’ve been so happy since I joined the center.”
“The first thing seniors say they face is isolation,” said Mike Lopez, senior service activities manager at the LGBT Center.
“So, any space and community we can provide is the essence of our work,” he said.
Center Farah Javadi talked to Rec Assistant Megha Kamra when they were enjoying Valentine’s Day celebrations at the Pan Pacific Advanced Event Center in Los Angeles.
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
The Pan Pacific Advanced Event Center also hosts Valentine’s Day celebrations ten minutes away from the Fairfax area. The center has just celebrated its reopening anniversary after four years of closing during the pandemic. Monica Benyamin, director of entertainment facilities, said Valentine’s Day events (centric with card making) provide a way to attract people.
“It’s just a good time to reflect and make others happy by receiving cards,” said Joan Leider, a regular at the center. Leider wore a bright pink heart necklace that she crocheted. Her dog Bugzee Siegel is wearing a sportswear with the word “sweetheart”.
Ryder usually makes and passes Valentine’s Day collages to dear friends and loved ones every year, but this year she decided to do something different after her sister’s recent death.
Leslie Lambaren created a card for her daughter during Valentine’s Day celebration at the Pan Pacific Advanced Event Center.
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
“When they said they were going to write, I knew my mom and sister were special,” she said. Leider planned to write a card with all the “newest” to her sister and then frame it for herself.
Lidd said the community she found in the center is crucial to her well-being. This is the emotion that many older people respond to.
“When I said I went to the Premium Center, I had some friends laughing. People worth watching,” said Lloyd Wilkey, 69.
Haruhiko Noyama in the center dances during Valentine’s Day celebrations at the LGBT Center in Los Angeles.
(Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Wilkie explained that he cried when he proposed to his wife on Valentine’s Day. He said the Senior Center provided him with company after her death.
“I think I’ll sneak in, do my thing, get out, but on the way I meet these people,” he said. “I can pop up here and smile from someone. I can go with someone. Play. You can’t imagine what it feels like.”
Back at the LGBT Center, Lauren Peterson, 66, is a volunteer tap dance teacher who marvels at the crowd with the battle high in the sky.
For Peterson, Valentine’s Day has always felt “a bit made” but she said she has experienced far more communities in the center.
“When you’re in a relationship, it’s more stressful to step up and do something during the holidays,” she said.
“Now, it’s just an excuse for a party without any pressure.”
