Lujira Cooper is one of the seniors showcased in the “Not Another Second” exhibit at the Watermark at Westwood Village. (photo by Karsten Thormaehlen)

LGBTQ+ seniors are twice as likely to live alone and be single. More than half report feeling isolated from other people. Half also live in states that have no anti-discrimination housing laws. Nearly a quarter of older LGBTQ+ adults have acted as caregivers for their friends. These are just some of the statistics noted in the “Not Another Second” exhibit, currently on view through June 29 at the Watermark at Westwood Village, and produced in association with RXM Creative and SAGE, the largest organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ older adults.

“Our goal … is to tell stories about seniors and senior living that might not be what others have contemplated or explored,” Watermark Retirement Communities chairman David Freshwater, explaining­­ that the “Not Another Second” perfectly encapsulated the kind of community the organization tries to create.

“We believe everyone should thrive regardless of who you are, where you came from, what you believe or who you love,” he said. “These beliefs cannot be reinforced enough in today’s world.  As to why this is important in Los Angeles? Frankly, where better place in the world can we promote these views? Los Angeles is such a vital melting pot of inclusive living and an incubator of forward-thinking views.”

“Not Another Second” showcases stunning portraits taken by photographer Karsten Thormaehlen of LGBTQ+ seniors, noting how many “years lost” each had to endure while living in the closet.

Born-and-raised New Yorker Lujira Cooper is one of the few to have “0” years written beside her picture. Cooper flew in for the grand opening of the exhibit on Jan. 26.

“When I was working when I was very young, relatively, I worked at the Y on 34th Street [in New York City], and they didn’t want to admit it, but it was a gay haven,” Cooper said. “So, I spent 10 years working in that place with a lot of people who came in who were … unfortunately, in the closet, but some were out. So, it was not something you had to hide necessarily.”

Cooper said that the exhibit is important for other generations to view.

“[‘Not Another Second’] lets the younger people know [about] the shoulders they stand on, [and people can say], ‘Yes, I can understand what they’ve gone through. And I respect them for the fights they went through to get where [they are] able to live their authentic self,’” she said.

“I am particularly grateful for Lujira Cooper, who not only told her amazing story as part of the exhibition but also agreed to trek all the way out to L.A. to be a part of the opening event,” Freshwater said. “I asked Karsten Thormaehlen, the amazing photographer of the exhibition, how he was able to not break down when he photographed each of them. Karsten replied that at the time he photographed them he didn’t know anything about them or their stories. He said he cried when he later viewed the video and learned the details of their lives.”

For Thormaehlen, showcasing older adults has been a long-term endeavor. He’s worked on three previous books that included seniors. He has now released this series, too, as a book, available for purchase at notanothersecond.com.

“The book gives a brief overview [and] timeline of LGBTQ history, a transcript of the filmed interviews and six to eight portraits of each person,” Thormaehlen said.

He also said “love” is at the center of each photograph.

“True love is what makes life with living. Loving and being loved is what we are all aiming for. A life without love isn’t worth living,” Thormaehlen said.

“From an altruistic perspective, I hope people understand that many of the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today were made possible by people who suffered and persevered and paved a new path before us,” Freshwater said. “I also hope that by sponsoring an exhibition like this … people might gain a slightly different view of senior housing and see it as a more contemporary, enlightened and cool place to live.”

Cooper said that while many strides have been made since she first came out, without proper respect for history, it is possible that years of progress may be erased.

“It has only been what for a little over 50 years since things have started to change. The fight with Roe v. Wade, where people didn’t think that we could go backwards, and we did. The first thing I thought about was all the other things that we could affect to go back,” Cooper said.

Even after the midterm elections, which she said represented a show of progress for the community, Cooper said, “we won this battle, but we haven’t won the war.”

For information about Watermark and the company’s senior living facilities, visit watermarkcommunities.com. In addition to Westwood, Watermark also has a village located in Beverly Hills.