queerAltern Region Basel

queerAltern Region Basel is an association established in September 2021 with a regional focus on Basel. Its work concerns later life for people who identify as part of the queer community. It seeks to support personal autonomy, social visibility and recognition of different ways of living as people grow older.[1]

Housing, care, retirement provision and political participation are among its areas of work. The association wants structures in society, institutions and care to take older queer people’s needs into account. It also aims to connect civil society with professionals and decision-makers.[1]

The association creates opportunities to meet and develops networks. Its activities aim to counter loneliness in later life, build social connections and encourage a sense of belonging. Its website invites interested people to get to know the association through its events.[1]

The Qualifizieren working group focuses on queer people who need care or support. Its members have professional experience in health and care. The group describes a training programme for staff in health and advisory services as an objective of its work.[2]

The group reports on two training sessions at Pflegehotel St. Johann in Basel involving staff from different professions. Topics included sexuality in later life, terminology, the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity, coming out in care, and values, norms and prejudice. The sessions aim to help staff reflect on their attitudes and feel more confident in their interactions with queer residents.[2]

The association welcomes new members and explicitly invites people of any age who wish to contribute actively. Its membership page provides a registration link and lists annual fees of CHF 80 for individuals and CHF 160 for legal entities.[1][4]

People can subscribe to a newsletter covering the association, its projects and events, and queer life in Basel. The website also points to previous newsletters, information about the association’s history and an archive.[1]

The general email address is hallo@queeraltern-basel.ch. The contact page gives the postal address as Verein queerAltern Region Basel, 4000 Basel. It explicitly identifies this as a correspondence address.[3]

Marianne Schneider leads the Qualifizieren working group, which lists qualifizieren.ag@queeraltern-basel.ch as its email address. Interested institutions can book its awareness training for professionals working in organisations serving older people.[2]