Aging and Lesbian Women

The aging experience for lesbian women is often discussed in the research literature as the experiences of “older lesbians”—that is, women over the age of 55 who identify their sexual orientation as lesbian. Although exact numbers are currently not known, it has been estimated that there are anywhere from 500,000 to 2 million older lesbians in the United States, and this number is projected to double by 2030. This entry first discusses the need for specific and separate knowledge that focuses exclusively on the lesbian experience of aging. Next, the entry describes several key areas of need and struggle, as well as areas of strength and resilience in the areas of identity and health. These issues are examined within the current historical [Page 67]context and ...