Queer generativity in lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults: Personal, relational, and political/social behaviours

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults may have had the opportunity to reflect on and process stressful life experiences, and they may be more inclined to practice queer generative behaviours aimed at strengthening sexual minority identities and supporting the sexual minority community. The present study explored the unique patterns of generativity practiced by 27 Italian LGB older adults (60 years and older) through semi‐structured interviews. Using a constructive grounded theory approach, we identified three main forms of queer generativity: (a) personal, involving the reception of generativity from others, the redefinition of religious values, and adjustment to parenting styles according to one's LGB identity, motivated by a desire for personal growth; (b) relational, involving the provision of resources and the pursuit of a career that supports the LGBT+ community, motivated by a desire to care for others; and (c) political/social, involving the creation of new LGBT+ contexts and the transmission of knowledge and experiences to younger LGBT+ persons and allies, motivated by a desire to fight for LGBT+ rights. Queer generativity emerged as a community resilience strategy practiced by LGB older adults to cope with heterosexist and/or ageist social contexts. Implications for policy and community practice are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

“Caught between two worlds”: Managing identity in bisexual fatherhood.

“…While some research into older gay men’s communities has found communicative boundaries between generations due to differences in stigma experiences and openness (Fox, 2007), such intergenerational boundaries were not emphasized by bisexual fathers, suggesting that the marginalization of bisexual men within LGBTQ+ communities leads them to form online bisexual communities incorporating many age groups. Many bisexual fathers found that offering representation and support for younger bisexual men through discussing their own identity was a positive and affirming practice, reflecting existing findings that supporting younger generations through sharing resources, building networks, and activism can help to strengthen a positive identity among older LGBTQ+ adults (Rosati et al, 2021).…”

Aging well in an aging society: physical health in older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults

“…In line with other research (i.e., Rosati et al, 2021b), it could be relevant also to consider the experiences of older non-cisgender adults to offer a broader perspective on the process of aging well in sexual minority people. Moreover, future studies may consider the presence and strengths of social boundaries beyond the traditional conception of families and their roles in predicting physical and mental health in older LGB adults.…”

Experiences of Life and Intersectionality of Transgender Refugees Living in Italy: A Qualitative Approach

“…However, in this study, participants demonstrated a positive individuation process, linked to gender affirmation treatments and the use of coping strategies aimed at successfully combining meaningful social identities (i.e., those pertaining to religion and gender) [ 40 , 41 , 46 , 47 , 52 ]. The findings suggest that national authorities and policymakers should incorporate an intersectional perspective into social policies to account for the needs of transgender refugees (e.g., training on LGBTQI+ issues for service providers).…”

“…Furthermore, due to their intersecting ethnic and gender identities, some participants reported a sense of isolation from both their communities of ethnic and religious origin and the Italian LGBTQI + community, suffering further negative consequences for mental health [ 9 , 16 ]. However, participants also reported several religious coping strategies that helped them to redefine their religious values and positively combine these with their gender identity [ 40 , 41 , 52 ]. Participants’ individuation proceeded through their synthesis of social identities and their medical-surgical treatments for gender affirmation [ 46 , 47 ].…”