Before You Know It

The subjects of ‘Before You Know It’ are no ordinary senior citizens. They are go-go booted bar-hoppers, love struck activists, troublemaking baton twirlers, late night Internet cruisers, seasoned renegades and bold adventurers. They are also among the estimated 2.4 million lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans over the age of 55 in the United States, many of whom face heightened levels of discrimination, neglect and exclusion. But ‘Before You Know It’ is not a film about cold statistics and gloomy realities, it’s a film about generational trailblazers who have surmounted prejudice and defied expectation to form communities of strength, renewal and camaraderie. Born before the Civil Rights era, these men have witnessed unbelievable change in their lifetimes, from the stonewall riots and gay liberation, to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and queer nation, to gay marriage and Lady Gaga, and have lived to become part of an unprecedented “out” elder generation. ‘Before You Know It’ focuses on the lives of three gay seniors, but reminds us that while LGBT elders face a specific set of issues, aging and its challenges are universal. An affirmation of life and human resilience told with humor and candor, ‘Before You Know It’ confirms that you are never too old to reshape society.