The Villages Group – Rainbow, is based on the Languedoc region of South West France. Danny Silver is a founding partner of the Villages Group, and speaking to OPP, he described the complex as “the first gay active living community for over 50s in France”. “Other European developers have explored the new potential niche market – however, one proposal after another has died on the vine. These kinds of resorts are enormous in America, very big in Australia – and yet it’s not being done here.
The gay community is just not catered to in this part of the world. So I thought, well, I’ve got nothing to lose, let’s go,” he said. The community is 7 hectares in size, and will open by early 2015. It is unique because it caters specifically for older LGBT people. Cathy Groene, owner of established Senior LGBT resort Carefree Cove, in North Carolina, told OPP, “People of a certain age want to be with people who they are comfortable around, from similar backgrounds. There’s no chance of being an outsider here.”
Silver said: “It will have the usual perks of a good lifestyle and is gated, so the residents will feel safer. But most of all, the members will be shareholders so they will be the ones making the decisions.” He went on to say that he thought it best to keep the LGBT angle subtle in marketing. He said: “The Americans all told me that you should mention the LGBT angle on the front page of your brochure or website – and then you shut up about it.
It’s a nice resort, in a nice place, it happens to be aimed at the gay community. That’s it.” Earlier this year, the planners of Spain’s first gay retirement home secured a plot of land on the outskirts of the capital city. ( By Joseph Patrick McCormick from www.pinknews.com )