Ageisms in LGBTQ Cultures

LGBTQ individuals experience aging and ageism differently from heterosexuals and from each other. LGBTQ individuals can experience ageism, which excludes them from their own “kind” and from general forms of social participation. While increasing attention has been given since the 1990s to how ageism affects gay men’s experiences of aging, this work has overshadowed the ageisms experienced by lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer persons. To address the above-identified knowledge gaps, this entry examines ideas within the literatures on LGBTQ experiences of aging and ageism.

Definitions

Aging and Ageisms

Aging is viewed as a natural, biological process, but aging and ageism are not reducible to physical experience; they are social constructs. Aging is defined as material and symbolic—consisting of changes to our bodies and our ideas about the passing ...

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