The gay scene in Toronto, Canada is probably like many other big cities in that it suffers from age discrimination. It seems to be the place for young people with little room for men in their 40s, 50s and over. The problem is that there seems to be a large contingent of men in that age group. There also seem to be fewer and fewer ways to connect with other gay men of the same age.
There are fewer bars and clubs for the gay man in general, and even fewer for the older gay man. But many gay men don’t want to go to a bar anyway. So where and how do they connect?
For the sports-oriented individual, in Toronto at least, there are gay leagues and teams for just about any sport, from tennis to bowling. These are great, unless you’re not a sports fanatic.
Tech-savvy men can use dating websites and smartphone sex apps. These websites and apps generally provide you with the opportunity to create a profile and include photos of yourself in various states of nudity. Some even indicate how close your potential partner is to you. Be careful about the amount of information you give out and make sure you don’t get scammed for money.
But websites and phone apps seem to be a market for younger men too. Those in their 40s and 50s didn’t grow up with smartphones or the internet for that matter, so this is all new to them.
New to them or not, the internet offers a myriad of ways to meet up with other gay men. There are a large number of meeting groups that cater to almost any interest a person may have. Search engines can help even the least internet savvy gay man find those who share his interests. Just write what interests you and add “gay” and you will probably discover that there is a group for that.
Another way to meet others is volunteering. Volunteering provides altruistic value while opening the door to meet other like-minded people. Find a cause you can support, not just any old organization. It has to be something that you can stick with for a period of time. Most organizations want some kind of time commitment.
There are ways to meet like-minded people, you just have to know where to look. The old methods don’t work like they used to, so you may need to do it another way. The internet can be helpful, so if you don’t know how to use it, it might be worth learning.