Lesbians over Sixty

Abstract

SUMMARY This article reports on a previously unpublished survey of a community of elder lesbians collected in 1984 by Dr. Monika Kehoe and colleagues, which described the social life, family relationships, relationships with women, sexuality, health, and health care services of elder lesbians. We report the findings of this study now not only because they have historical importance, but also because they remain relevant to the current life experiences and needs of elder lesbians. Specifically, this article describes the results of the original survey and discusses these findings in light of subsequent research findings. This comparison sheds light on the consistency of the attitudes, behaviors, and relationships of elder lesbians over the past 20 years. Recent and current research about elder lesbians largely confirms the observations of the Kehoe survey that older lesbians have: (1) often created a variety of social, sexual, and domestic experiences during their lives; (2) focused their social lives around a network of friends; (3) often not maintained close familial ties; and (4) avoided using conventional senior services often due to perceived discrimination.