Older Women Lesbians Ignored But Not Ignorant
Many facets of the LTBG society are being closely examined, as its existence is becoming more and more integrated into mainstream society through discourse and activism. However, one often overlooked genre of people in the LTGB society are older women lesbians. They are very important in creating the discourse, as well as the vitality of queer theory and homosexual ethics. Single woman lesbians, whether they are old or young, are probably interested in traveling and enjoying a luxury Caribbean lesbian vacation. Lesbian women who want to take a vacation are sometimes looking for other single lesbian women with which to share the experience. Older women lesbians can enjoy the sun and the fun of a gay-friendly vacation.
Not very much is known about older women lesbians. The field of gerontology has only recently begun to acknowledge that older adults are sexual beings, and the prevailing assumption is that sexual means heterosexual.
The research in gay and lesbian studies suffers from the ageist tendency to be interested only in issues that affect younger or middle-aged gay or lesbian adults. Therefore, information about aging issues as they relate to older gay men and lesbian women ranges from scarce to non-existent. Gerontologists have come to believe that there are at least two groups of older adults who are commonly classified as aged or elderly. The "young-old" adult is aged 55-60, may be retired or planning to retire, and may have health problems that are beginning to affect his or her daily activities. The "young-old" adult still has an income, is active and not dependent on others for help. The "old-old" adult is 75-85 years old and may be economically and physically in need of help.
Generalized Patterns in Older Gay Men and Lesbians
Little is known about older women lesbians because they are often hidden, particularly when over the age of 60. Acknowledging one's sexual orientation has historically not been viewed or experienced as a possible event. For the most part, our homophobic society deems gay men and lesbians as immoral and, in some states, their sexual practices illegal. Nonetheless, while there are a variety of patterns in the aging of gay men and lesbians. For instance, many very old gay men and lesbians have never defined themselves as homosexual.
Many older women lived their lives somewhat safely in coupled relationships with another woman. While there may have been whispers and suspicions about these women, it was fairly acceptable for women to be roommates and share housing for economic and safety reasons.
Gay men, on the other hand, tended to find their safety in marriages to women and to have sexual relationships with men outside the marriage. In this way, many homosexual relationships were hidden. The moral, social, and legal injunctions against homosexuality have weighed heavily on this population of gay men and lesbians.
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