One of the first residents to move into the Pryde — New England’s first LGBTQ+ welcoming, affordable senior housing community — was Bunny Shilakowsky. The 68-year-old concert violinist came out as transgender in the last few years.
“I wanted to be queer, but I never thought I could,” Shilakowsky said. “I never thought I was that brave.”
”Living in Pryde” is a new short documentary from GBH News told by the residents of the Pryde.
GBH News spent six months capturing the experiences of a generation that came of age with few legal protections against harassment or discrimination. Rich with archival footage, the film explores what it was to live though the AIDS crisis and to fight for same-sex marriage.
While many older Americans struggle with the cost of living, research suggests LGBTQ+ seniors face unique housing challenges. They are twice as likely to be single and live alone than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts, and are twice as likely to have experienced homelessness in their lifetime.
Housed in a former public school in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, the Pryde quickly filled its 74 units after opening in June 2024.
“I denied myself involvement with the queer community for so many years that embracing it fully is such a relief for me,” Shilakowsky said. “So, I’m not going to give up on my community. I’m not going to give up on myself. If they come for me, I’ll go down fighting.”
When LGBTQ+ rights face renewed attack, the Pryde is a target and a refuge — a place where residents believe the strength of community is their most powerful tool in the ongoing fight for equality.
