Lesbians over Sixty Speak for Themselves

by Monika Kehoe

This pioneering effort is the first attempt to reach a nationwide representation of lesbian elders in order to understand this deeply hidden segment of our population. The women in Lesbians Over 60 Speak for Themselves candidly describe their necessarily secret lives in a hostile society--how they feel about being “different,” how they cope with the homophobia that surrounds them, their most pressing problems, how aging has affected them, as well as the most intriguing their sexual behavior--as it was in their youth and as it is now. This powerful book provides fascinating demographics about this previously neglected group of women and thoroughly explores their intimate thoughts and feelings about aging and lesbianism.

Genres: Queer, Nonfiction, LGBT

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive, easy to read account of the study, aware of and open about its limitations especially in terms of the pool of subjects (almost exclusively white and well-educated).
Some of the language and assumptions remind one of the age of the book, but it is generally remarkably considerate and aware. (Being written by an older lesbian herself, the report shows subtle empathy and warmth.)
Unfortunately, many of the problems covered are still faced by older queer people today and the optimism of the book did not quite turn into reality. Even so, seeing an account and hearing some of the words of lesbians born in the early 20th century is a valuable historical document and encouraging to me as a queer person today. We have always existed and survived and will continue to do so.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intéressant car le sujet est très rarement abordé, mais ça ressemblait plus à un mémoire de M2 publié en format livre. C'est vraiment un compte rendu d'enquête socio par questionnaire