Aging and lesbian relationships: strengths, challenges, and late-life concerns

Empirical efforts have slowly begun to explore the ways in which lesbian-identified women experience the many facets of aging. However, most research either conflates the experiences of lesbians and gay men or fails to distinguish between the experiences of single and coupled lesbians. This study utilized a qualitative grounded theory design from a feminist constructivist perspective to develop a conceptual model of the role of aging in lesbian relationships, including the impact of aging on lesbian relationships and the ways in which couples lesbians think about, talk about, and plan for late-life experiences. Eight participant couples in which 1 partner was at least 60 years of age described their experiences around getting older in interviews. Six themes emerged: planning, lesbian community, negotiations and concerns around caregiving, relationships and the impact of aging, resiliency and lesbian identity, and gratitude. Overall, participant couples expressed an enriched and strengthened relationship with one another as a result of growing older. The six themes were then integrated into a conceptual model that attempts to understand the themes in relation to one another and to the larger context of participants' lives. Limitations and implications for future research, practice, and social justice are discussed.