Outlasting – the verb has many meanings and nuances: enduring, persisting, remaining. Older LGBTQI+ people are those who persisted against all odds. When the world built up walls of hate speech and shame, they shouted louder and walked prouder. When words fail, queer ageing bodies remain as powerful reminders of the right to be, unashamed and unapologetic. Their embodied memories constitute a living archive and, as such, offer unreplaceable insights for new and adequate approaches to sexual and gender diversity, and ageing.

Older queers matter today more than ever. This generation remembers too well how easy it is for authoritarian regimes to remove rights taken for granted. To avoid repeating mistakes of the past, we need to remember so as not to forget. Racing against time, every word we gathered from the extraordinary people we met in Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia is a treasure and will help future generations in understanding who we are by learning where we came from. This legacy will contribute to a safer world for all, based on democracy, freedom and kindness.
So… what’s next? What will we do with everything we learned? This is up to you, up to us. This is our collective everlasting responsibility, because we were born in this particular time, in that particular place, and we were born to outlast.

Directors: Ana Cristina Santos & Nuno Barbosa