Gender and older LGBT* housing discourse: the marginalised voices of older lesbians, gay and bisexual women

Abstract

Purpose -This paper is a conceptual discussion of the marginalisation of the voices of older lesbians, gay and bisexual (LGB) women, within the collective discourse of "older LGBT* housing". The purpose of this paper is to critically interrogate its (in)equality implications and to consider ways in which they might be overcome. Design/methodology/approach -This is a conceptual discussion that draws on the social justice model of equality developed by Nancy Fraser, specifically the domains of resources, recognition and representation. Findings -The housing needs, wishes and concerns of older LGB women are often marginalised while at the same time those of older gay men are privileged. Older LGB women's preferences for gender-and/or sexuality-specific housing are silenced within collective homogenising discourseby researchers and activists alikewhich mobilises a "mainstream" or "LGBT*-specific" binary about housing options. Research limitations/implications -Research findings which do not include the voices of older lesbian, gay and bisexual women are inherently flawed. There is a need to ensure their voicesacross the older age spectrumare included. Practical implications -The voices of older LGB women in relation to older age housing need to be better heard so that they can be better resourced. Social implications -The marginalisation of older lesbian, gay and bisexual women's voices in relation to older age housing has profound equality and human rights implications. Originality/value -Critical discussions about the gendering of older LGBT* housing discourse are long overdue. This paper seeks to open a dialogue about these important issues.

The myth of ‘older LGBT+’ people: Research shortcomings and policy/practice implications for health/care provision

“…Specifically, gay men are over-represented (Cronin and King, 2014), bisexual people are under-represented (Jen and Jones, 2019) and trans people are either under-represented or excluded, especially gender non-conforming individuals (Jones and Willis, 2016;Fiani and Han, 2019). It has also long been argued that older lesbians are marginalised from both lesbian and gay and LGBT+ ageing research, with leading contemporary authors (Traies, 2016;Averett & Jenkins, 2012;Westwood, 2017) asserting that this reflects the wider invisibilisation of older lesbians in society.…”

“…Sex/gender differences can also be erased through non-reporting. For example, when older lesbians and gay men are asked for their preferences for housing with care and support in later life, their choices are very different (Westwood, 2017). When given the choice, most older lesbians say they would prefer women-only/lesbian-only housing as their first choice and mixed mainstream housing (for heterosexual and LGBT+ people) as their second.…”

Inequalities in older LGBT people's health and care needs in the United Kingdom: a systematic scoping review

“…Studies such as those conducted by Bouman et al (2016) and King and Stoneman (2017) help to address this gap partially through having an exclusive focus on transgender people or through disaggregating information on transgender people, although there remain substantial gaps. Earlier studies highlighted the invisibility of older lesbian, gay and bisexual women in research (Westwood, 2017a), with much earlier studies highlighting that lesbianism among older women used to be regarded as a 'proclivity of a small, adventurous, minority' (Kehoe, 1986: 140). This review finds a number of studies that are focused exclusively on older LGB women, although this pool of literature needs to grow substantially if it is to compensate for the years of neglect in this area.…”

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans Aging in a U.K. Context: Critical Observations of Recent Research Literature

“…Qualitative research conducted by Westwood (2016b, 2017) has also confirmed the significant fears that older LGBT people have about housing. However, Westwood also argues that lesbian and bisexual women, in particular, are marginalized—not only in the options available to them but also in how their experiences are researched.…”

“…However, Westwood also argues that lesbian and bisexual women, in particular, are marginalised -not only in the options available to them, but also in how their experiences are researched. Indeed, Westwood (2017) contends that generic older LGBT discourse raises several equality and human rights concerns in how research and practice are operationalised and makes a number of specific recommendations: ensuring equal sample quotas in terms of gender and age and moving beyond either LGBT-specific or affirmative options.…”