An interview with old lesbian poet, Elsa Gidlow.

Adelman, M. 2000. Midlife lesbian relationships: friends, lovers, children, and parents, edited by Marcy R. Adelman, PhD. 

"A careful and sensitive look at the various relationships of lesbians at midlife inside and outside of the therapy office. A useful addition to a growing body of literature." ~ Ellyn Kaschak, PhD

Adelman M. 1990. Stigma, gay lifestyles, and adjustment to aging: a study of later-life gay men and lesbians. J Homosex 20(3-4): 7-32.

Adelman, M. (1988). Quieting our fears: lesbians and aging. Outlook: National Lesbian and Gay Quarterly, 1, 78-81.

Adelman, M. (Ed.) 1986. Long Time Passing: Lives of Older Lesbians. Boston: Alyson Publications.

A collection of 26 narratives and essays on aging issues.

Almvig, C. 1982. The Invisible Minority: Aging and Lesbianism. Syracuse: Utica College of Syracuse.

SAGE co-founder Chris Almvig’s descriptive study of 25 sixty-plus dykes.

Auger, J. 1990. Lesbians and Aging: Triple Trouble or Tremendous Thrill. In Sharon Dale Stone (Ed.), Lesbians in Canada, ( pp. 25-34). Toronto: Between the Lines.

Barrett, M.B. (1989). Invisible lives: The truth about millions of women-loving women. New York: Willima Morrow.

Berger, R. 1990. Older Gays and Lesbians. In Keys to Caring: Assisting Your Gay and Lesbian Clients ed. R. Kus: 170-81. Boston: Alyson Publications.

Berger, R. (1984). Realities of gay and lesbian aging. Social Work, 29, 57-62.

Berger RM (1982). The unseen minority: Older gays and lesbians. Social Work; 27(3):236-242.

Berger RM, Kelly JJ (1986). Working with homosexuals of the older population. Social Casework; 67(4):203-210.

Berzon, B. "Why are Older Gays and Lesbians Treated Like Pariahs?" The Advocate. January 28, 1992.

Blow, S. Late Bloomers shake sexual foundations. The Dallas Morning News, 07-22-1998, pp 25A.

Boxer, A.M. (1997). "Gay, Lesbian, and Bixexual Aging into The Twenty-First Century: An Overview and Introduction." Journal of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Identity, 2, 187-197.

Bradford, J. & Ryan, C. (1991). Who we are:  health concerns of middle-aged lesbians. In B. Sang, J. Warshow, & A. Smith (Eds.). Lesbians at midlife: The creative transition (pp. 147 - 163). San Francisco: Spinster.

Calhoun, J. 1993.  Friends and Lovers. Tallahassee: Naiad Press.

Danny is a recently divorced, newly out lesbian with a teenage daughter who has returned to her home town to live with her mother. Throw in a love affair with her married best friend, a male boss whom she dated as a teen, and a controversial project to provide a bed-and-breakfast for AIDS patients, and you have part of the complications of Danny's new life. Although a lot of the problems are sorted out in the end, the book does not offer pat answers to difficult questions or gloss over the difficulties of coming out at middle age.

Cameron, Elspeth. (1997). No Previous Experience: A Memoir of Love and Change. Toronto: Penguin Books.

Cameron, a Canadian literary biographer,  writes of the collapse of her third marriage and the gradual development of the lesbian relationship that replaced it. ISBN: 0-14-026349-7.

Cart, J. A Place to Be Gray and Gay / Homosexuals seek retirement communities of their own, Newsday, 08-12-1998, pp B02.

Charbonneau, C. & Lander, P. (1991). Redefining sexuality: women becoming lesbian in midlife. In B. Sang, J. Washow, & A. Smith (Eds.). Lesbians at midlife: The creative transition (pp. 35 - 43). San Francisco: Spinster.

Clunis, D.M. & Greene, G.D. (1988). "Growing Older Together." Chapter 16 of their book, Lesbian Couples (pp. 219-231). Seattle: Seal Press.

Issues facing aging lesbian couples.

Confronting Ageism: Consciousness Raising for Lesbians 60 and Over. Houston, TX : Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, 1993

A facilitators handbook that describes the how and why of CR and outlines nine sessions (including aging and ageism, health/disability/finances, bodies growing old, sexuality/sensuality, social relations and building community).

Connolly, Lora. 1996. Long-Term Care and Hospice: The Special Needs of Older Gay Men and Lesbians. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services 5(1).

Cook-Daniels, L. (1997). Lesbian, gay male, bisexual and transgendered elders: elder abuse and neglect issues. J Elder Abuse Neglect. 9(2): 35-49.

Copper, Baba. (1987).  Ageism in the Lesbian Community. Freedom, Calif. : Crossing Press.

Copper, B. (1990). "The View From Over the Hill: Notes on Ageism Between Lesbians." In J. Allen (Ed.) Lesbian Philosophies and Cultures (pp. 219-240). Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.

A personal narrative on ageism among lesbians.

Cruikshank, M. (1995). Fierce with Reality: An Anthology of Literature on Aging. St. Cloud, MN: North Star Press.

Cruikshank, M. 1991. Lavender and Gray: A Brief Survey of Lesbian and Gay Aging Studies" in Journal of Homosexuality 20:34, pp. 77-87.

Dawson K. ( 1982). Serving the older gay community. SEICUS Report; 11(2):5- 6.

Deevey, S. (1990). "Older Lesbian Women: An Invisible Minority." Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 16(5), 35-39.

The health-seeking behaviors of 78 older lesbians.

Dunker, B. (1987). "Aging Lesbians: Observations and Speculations." In Boston Lesbian Psychologies Collective (Ed.) Lesbian Psychologies: Explorations and Challenges (pp. 72-82). Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.

Late bloomer psychotherapist writes about lesbian aging, based on her personal and professional experiences.

Durable Dauntless Dykes (1987). Selections from The Writings of Durable Dauntless Dykes. San Francisco: Gay and Lesbian Outreach to Elders.

Poetry and narratives written for and by old lesbians.

Edwards, N. (1999). Works in Progress: Women's Transitional Journeys in the Realm of Sexuality. Dissertation abstracts or University of Minnesota Library.

An oral history of 10 women who were married to men and then had relationships with women after they were 40 years old. The study focuses on the stories and the joy of lives well lived.

Farrell LF, ed. (1993). Lambda Gray: A Practical, Emotional, and Spiritual Guide for Gays and Lesbians Who Are Growing Older. N. Hollywood: Newcastle Publishing.

Freedman, M. 1998. Gay, Gray Grandmas Tell of Joys, Challenges. Outword 5(2): 4-5.

Freedman, Marcia. 1995. Diversity with a Difference: Gay and Lesbian Aging. Aging Today Sept/Oct: 7-8.

Friend, R.A. 1991. Older Lesbian and Gay People: A Theory of Successful Aging. In Journal of Homosexuality 20:3/4, 99-118.

Friend, R. 1990. Older Lesbian and Gay People: Responding to Homophobia. In Homosexuality and Family Relations, ed. F. Bozett and M. Sussman: 241-264. New York: Harrington Park Press.

Friend, R.A. (1989). Older lesbian and gay people: Responding to homophobia. Marriage and Family Review. 14, 241-263.

Friend R.A. 1987. The individual and social psychology of aging: clinical implications for lesbians and gay men. J Homosex 14(1-2):307-331.

This article examines issues regarding aging for homosexual people in an attempt to provide a more comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the meaning age has for women and men in our society. Through the use of case examples, clinical concerns and interventions are discussed as they relate to three broad areas: the interrelated effects of ageism and heterosexism, normal changes in sexual response with age, and "accelerated aging". The relationship between social context and individual psychology provides the framework for this discussion. As the literature reviewed here indicates, there is a great deal of diversity among gay women and men in their experiences with aging. The strengths and insights which characterize many older gay people, however, provide valuable lessons for all men and women.

Gershick, Z.Z. (1998). Gay Old Girls.  Boston: Alyson Publications.

This collection of nine life stories can be seen as part of the larger project instituted by Joan Nestle and others to gather an oral history of lesbian life in America in the 20th century. Most date from the postwar years and describe the difficulties of finding community when there were no safe, established meeting places for gay people. ISBN 1555834760.

Gidlow, E. (1984). "Casting a Net: Excerpts from an Autobiography." In M. Cruikshank (Ed). New Lesbian Writing (124-136). San Francisco: Grey Fox Press.

Author’s life as a dyke.

Goldberg. S. (1986). "GLOE: A Model Social Service Program for Older Lesbians." In M. Adelman (Ed.) Longtime Passing: Lives of Older Lesbians (pp. 236-246). Boston: Alyson Publications.

Suggestions for developing social service programs like GLOE, Gay and Lesbian Outreach to Elders.

Gwenwald M. The SAGE model for serving older lesbians and gay men. In: Schoenberg R. Goldberg RS, Shore DA, ed. With Compassion Toward Some: Homosexuality and Social Work in America. New York: Harrington Park Press, 1985: 53-64.

Hash, Kris. (2001). "Caregiving and Post-caregiving Experiences of Midlife and Older Gay Men and Lesbians." Dissertation.

Hayes, S. (1991). Financial planning for retirement. In B. Sang, J. Washow, & A. Smith (Eds.). Lesbians at midlife: The creative transition (pp. 245 - 257). San Francisco: Spinster.

Healey, S. (1997). Some thoughts on old lesbians and research. OutWord, 4(1), 7.

Healey, S. (1994). "Diversity with a Difference: On Being Old and Lesbian". In Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services. Vol 1(1), New York: Haworth Press.

Herdt, Gl, Beeler, Jl, & Rawls, T.W. (1997). "Life Course Diversity Among Older Lesbians and Gay Men: A Study in Chicago." Journal of Gay, Lesbian, and Bixesual Identity, 2, 231-246.

Herdt, Gl, Hostetler, A.J., & Cohler, B.J. (Eds.). (1997). "Coming of Age: Gays, Lesbians, and Bixsexuals in the Second Half of Life." Journal of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Identity, 2, 87-308 (whole numbers 3.4). [Published by Human Sciences Press, New York, NY.]

Harrison, Jo. 1999. A Lavender Pink Grey Power: Gay and Lesbian Gerontology in Australia.   Australasian Journal on Ageing.  18(1): 245-250.

Hooyman, N.R. & Lustbader, W. (1986). In chapter 2 of their book, Taking Care: Supporting Older People and Their Families (New York: Free Press), "Lesbian and Gay Couples" (pp 39-44).

Caregiving issues and interventions for old lesbians / gays, and their families.

Hubbard WS. Resources [an annotated bibliography and service directory]. In: Farrell LF, ed. Lambda Gray: A Practical, Emotional, and Spiritual Guide for Gays and Lesbians Who are Growing Older. N. Hollywood: Newcastle Publishing, 1993: 133-179.

Isaac, B., Herringer, BM (January,1998). Lesbian Passages-Invisible Lives and Issues of Community. Journal of Lesbian Studies.

Despite the greater inclusion of women in the recent literature on aging, lesbians continue to remain invisible. This article presents the inquiries of two mid-life lesbian social work academics into the lives of lesbian women growing older, and the gaps revealed between the images of lesbians constructed in the public domain, and the lives of women who do not fit the mainstream or dominant images. The inquiry begins with the voices of the "experts": women who are living their mid-life years as lesbians in a society which does not "see" or image them. Whether or not this invisibility in mid-life and old age can be overcome through access to a supportive community seems open to debate. Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com.

Jacobsen, S. & Brown, S. (1996). Leisure in the lives of old lesbians: Looking beyond the panacea. OutWord, 3(2), 5-6.

Jacobsen, S. & Grossman, A.H. (1996). "Older Lesbians and Gay Men: Old Myths, New Images and Future Directions." In R.C. Savin-Williams & K.M. Cohen (Eds.), The Lives of Lesbians, Gasys, and Bisexuals: Children to Adults (pp. 345-373). Fort Worth, TX: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers.

Jacobsen, S. & Samdahl, D.M. (1998). Lesisure in the lives of old lesbians: Experiences with and responses to discrimination. Journal of Leisure Research, 30(2), 233-255.

Jensen, KL. 1999. Lesbian Epiphanies: Women Coming Out in Later Life. New York: Harrington Park Press.

Karon, S. 1998. Screening Old Lesbians for Breast and Cervical Cancers. Outword 5(2): 1, 6.

Kehoe M. (1991). Caring for the aging homosexual. Focus on Geriatric Care and Rehabilitation, 4(9).

Kehoe, M. (1989). Lesbians Over 60 Speak for Themselves. New York: Harrington Park Press.

A discussion of lesbian aging issues based on a questionnaire sample of 100 U.S. lesbians.

Kehoe, M. (1986). "A Portrait of the Older Lesbian." Journal of Homosexuality, 12(3/4), 157-161.

A profile of the aging lesbian.

Kehoe, M. (1986). "Lesbians Over 65: A Triply Invisible Minority." Journal of Homosexuality, 12, 139-152.

Questionnaire responses from 50 lesbians, 65 to 85 years of age, were used to describe their present status, their educational background, their economic and occupational condition, their personal and psychosocial concerns, as well as their perception of their own physical and mental health. The data suggests that the 65+ lesbian is a survivor, a balanced personality, coping with aging in a satisfactory manner.

Kimmel, D.C. (1978/1993). "Adult Development and Aging: A Gay Perspective." In L.D. Garnets & D.C. Kimmel (Eds.), Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Male Experiences ( pp. 517-534). New York: Columbia University Press. [Originally in Journal of Social Issues, 34(3), 113-130.]

Kimmel, D.C. (1995). "Lesbians and Gay Men Also Grow Old." In L.A. Bond, S.J, Cutler, & A. Grams (Eds.), Promoting Suiccessful and Productive Aging (pp. 289-303). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Kinch, J.L. (1999). Voices of lesbian women living longer: Becoming who we are. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Denver.

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 12 lesbian women, ages 55 years to 88 years, who are growing older, from a feminist perspective. The women's stories poignantly stressed that the women are not growing older, but becoming who they are. Some themes emerging from the stories included the importance of relationships, community, and mother daughter relationships. The work is being continued in further research about older women's experiences of health care.

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