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Centering the margins: what can be learned from listening to the voices of lesbians over 55?

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to centre the voices of older lesbians about their lived experience. Within the discourse of gerontology, the existence of older lesbians is invisible. Older lesbian existence is also marginalized within the lesbian community. Institutionalized heterosexism, homophobia, sexism and ageism, counter to the Social Work Code of Ethics, serve to enforce that invisibility and marginalization in the dominant Canadian culture. In order to provide some information on this marginalized group, four lesbians over the age of 55 were interviewed individually by a lesbian researcher. An exploratory, emancipatory, feminist qualitative research methodology elicited an informationrich discourse. The four women's stories were organized into their individual stories, and were translated into eleven themes, as follows: (1) heterosexism and homophobia, (2) ageism, (3) financial concerns, (4) housing and senior-serving institutions, (5) health problems, (6) vulnerability to crime and abuse, (7) isolation, (8) sexuality, (9) grief and loss, (10) organized religion, and (11) feelings about the lesbian community. The women in this study spoke eloquently about the issues that affect them and other older lesbians. The lived experience of the participants challenges social work's policies, practices, education and research to become inclusive of older lesbians.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-12

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4543

Social Work

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace