“I tried to appreciate it in a different way”: Older lesbian, bisexual, and queer women’s body image and embodiment across the life course

Abstract

We examined the life histories of older lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, focusing on the stories they told about their bodies and sexuality from early to later life. Guided by a narrative constructionist approach, a series of two life history interviews were conducted with 17 lesbian, bisexual, and queer women aged 65–86. Two themes were constructed through a narrative thematic analysis: Queering the Corset: Negotiating Gender Expression and (Aspirational) Aging Body Acceptance. Participants experienced body-related freedom through ‘tomboy’ expressions of physicality as children. This body autonomy was constrained in adolescence and adulthood due to heterosexist messages surrounding idealized femininity relayed by family and (heterosexual) men, which disrupted self-care yet catalyzed attuned, queer desire and positive embodiment. Women worked to accept their bodies as they aged; they experienced some body dissatisfaction in relation to age-related body changes, yet gratitude and pride in their older queer identities. The findings highlight concurrent positive and negative body image, and breadth of body-related experiences ranging from attunement and agency to discomfort and disruption throughout the life course. This work contributes to body image and embodiment research by moving beyond dominant (youthful) heteronormative perspectives by illuminating how ageism and heterosexism can shape body-related experiences.