Illuminating the Interconnections of Sexuality,Aging,and Spirituality in the Lives of Older Lesbian,Bisexual,and Queer Women in the Southern Bible Belt

Abstract

Although a recent surge in the literature has begun to address the existence and needs of the growing population of lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) older women, there is little established research that has examined their contextualized lived experiences. This absence of information about what aging is like for LBQ women in the current socioreligious climate can lead to misperceptions being perpetuated about the possible interconnections/disconnections among sexual orientation, spirituality, and aging. Therefore, based on the need to deconstruct these misconceptions and present counternarratives to dominant discourses, the following composite ethno-screenplay scenes, restoried from life story interviews, contextualize and illuminate understandings of the experiences of aging, sexuality, and spirituality in the lives of LBQ-identified women in the Southern Bible belt.