Whistling Women: A Study of the Lives of Older Lesbians

Description

Gain first-hand knowledge of how today's lesbians aged 60 and over survived the 20th century! “I didn’t know we were lesbians. We lived together 13 years!” Whistling Women is a unique, candid collection of the life experiences of 44 lesbians between 62 and 82 years of age. This book explores new ground with interviews about their memories, feelings, and thoughts on a... Read more

Gain first-hand knowledge of how today's lesbians aged 60 and over survived the 20th century!

“I didn’t know we were lesbians. We lived together 13 years!”

Whistling Women is a unique, candid collection of the life experiences of 44 lesbians between 62 and 82 years of age. This book explores new ground with interviews about their memories, feelings, and thoughts on a diversity of perspectives—from growing up during the Depression and World War II, to retirement and old age at the height of the gay liberation movement. This unprecedented resource captures a first-person view of lesbian history and documents the struggles and achievements of the women who lived it.

“All my schooling was women-oriented…so I was able to see what women and girls could give to each other.”

In Whistling Women, these older women share their views on:

childhood and young adulthood—family, social factors, religion, schooling
marriage—husbands, children, divorce
lesbian relationships—coming out/closet relationships, role playing, butch and fem practices
conventional politics—party affiliation, activities, concerns, degree of feminism
work and money—financial arrangements, home ownership, investment properties
life after 60—retirement, health, activities, communities
and much more!

“I dated. I went along. I did it because basically it was the thing to do. But I had crushes on girls.”

Whistling Women offers you unprecedented statistics on these women and comparisons with statistics gathered in other analyses on lesbian and heterosexual women. This research includes studies of:

socioeconomic class in childhood, mid-life, and at retirement
level of education of participants
number and duration of long-term relationships—both heterosexual marriages and lesbian lover relationships
age of first lesbian relationship
retirement statistics—year retired, age at retirement
economic resources after retirement (compared to general US population)

“If we had these things in the 1950s [gay bookstores and publications], how different life would be for a lot of people. But we had to pave the way.”

This book is significant for sociologists, gay and lesbian researchers, and gerontologists, as well as anyone interested in women’s history. It also presents recollections of lesbian/mixed bars—some famous—starting in the 1930s, memories of the notorious Greenwich Village, the early development of lesbian social groups, and lesbian friendships with gay men. Whistling Girls identifies many of the organizations that cater specifically to older lesbians, such as OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) and SOL (Slightly Older Lesbians). Read less

Chapter 1. Narrators and Friends
The Study Sample
The Historic Setting of the Narrators
Previous Studies of Gay Women
Whistling Women Statistics
Writing This Book
Chapter 2. Coming to Be
Family Situations
Tales of Moms and Dads
Leaving Home
Summary
Chapter 3. Marriage and Families
Dating Men
Marriage
Children
Divorce
Summary
Chapter 4. Lesbian Relationships
Overview of Lesbian History in the United States
Coming to Recognition
Coming Out
Narrators’ Tales of Coming Out
Relationships
Politics
Summary
Chapter 5. Work and Money
Women, Money, and Men
Careers and Jobs
Financial Education
Summary
Chapter 6. Life After Sixty
The Decision to Retire
Financing Retirement
Lesbian Communities
Retirement Activities
Health
Plans for Self, Partners, and Families
Summary
Chapter 7. Words and Us
Being Wordless
Learning Words
Other People’s Words
Coming Out
Chapter 8. Lesbian Spaces, Gay Faces
Greenwich Village
The Subculture of Lesbian/Mixed Gay Bars
Gay Community?
Chapter 9. Conclusion
Notes for the Conservative Right, Gay Studies Scholars, and Ourselves
Do Age Differences Matter in Studies of Older Lesbians?
References
Index

Author(s)

Biography

J Dianne Garner, Cheryl Claassen

Whistling Women A Study of the Lives of Older Lesbians

Description

Table of Contents

Author(s)

Biography

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