PREVIEW: New LGBTQ+ Nonprofit Tackles Loneliness Crisis with Monthly Lunches
6/14 @ Proctors Theatre, Schenectady
“Free monthly lunches in Schenectady for LGBTQ+ individuals aim to rebuild trust and foster intergenerational connection among the community.”
Gina Moran, MSW, a former social worker, artist, and married lesbian mother of two, knows isolation isn’t just a passing feeling—it’s a systemic crisis for LGBTQ+ individuals. On March 26th, 2025, she founded Pride’s Table, a new nonprofit to create intentional, intergenerational community spaces where queer people can rediscover the art of connection and reclaim belonging.
“We envision a future where every member of the LGBTQ+ community feels a sense of belonging and finds meaningful connections,” says Moran.
Studies published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) show LGBTQ+ adults experience loneliness at increased rates. The reasons run deep—rejection by families, exclusion at jobs or places of worship, and the daily discrimination of homophobia and transphobia all play a role. For LGBTQ+ seniors, the crisis is particularly severe. Many older members of the community have little to no family to turn to and worry about losing, or having to sacrifice, their identities in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
When connection falters, the loss is felt collectively, yet internalized personally. When people feel cut off from their communities for extended periods—even years on end—some naturally start believing they're meant to be alone. That painful mindset can lead to self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse. What begins as loneliness too often grows into a full-blown health crisis. Pride’s Table is here to start recovery with connection.
"All of us are, in some way, beginners at this," says Moran. "We’re going to grow together."
Pride’s Table’s solution is a community built on safety, accessibility, and "togetherness." Moran aims to create a space free of shame for all LGBTQ+ people, and from there, collectively remember how to find the threads that connect people, rather than isolate them, and heal together. Pride’s Table will host free monthly lunches at the DeLack Guild Room, located in Schenectady’s Proctors Theatre, designed to:
Prioritize welcomeness with structured check-ins (including pronouns and shared intentions) to establish community expectations and envision future growth.
Bridge generational gaps by fostering cooperative, inclusive discussions that engage all LGBTQ+ voices.
Highlight unique identities and perspectives within the LGBTQ+ community through unifying and uplifting topics; including but not limited to self-love, empowering storytelling, and icebreaker games!
“Our goal is to bring people together in an authentic way, providing a safe space and environment for all. Everyone has a seat at Pride’s Table,” says Moran.
Moran knows isolation firsthand, and the courage it takes to fight it. When she joined a "Women Over 50 Looking for Friends" group on Facebook, she had an awakening. Living through COVID-19 pandemic isolation, layered with a lifetime of homophobia, hinders the LGBTQ+ community’s ability to connect.
"I can be slow to reveal I'm a lesbian sometimes," she confesses, “and I’ve been married for 26 years.”
That moment crystalized her mission: if someone like her—with a supportive wife and family—could struggle with loneliness, others are most certainly struggling with her. Now, Pride's Table offers her local solution: a space where LGBTQ+ people can wholly reconnect—hand in hand, one warm meal at a time.
Upcoming Pride’s Table Lunches are on Saturday June 14th, July 12th and August 9th from 12:00 - 2:00 at Proctor’s DeLack Guild Room. To RSVP, volunteer, and donate to an upcoming Pride’s Table Lunch, visit: www.pridestable518.com.