That’s the energy. Not fearless, but deliberate. Not invisible, but quiet in a way that commands attention.
Not “elderly LGBTQ+ individuals.” Not “senior members of the queer community.” Let’s say the words with the same strength they’ve always had: old lesbians. Before marriage equality. Before “love is love” was a hashtag. Before your local coffee shop put up a Pride flag in June—there were old lesbians. They ran the switchboards. They typed and mimeographed newsletters by hand. They bought the houses in “dangerous” neighborhoods because no one else would sell to them. They nursed each other through the AIDS crisis when the rest of the world looked away. They organized potlucks, softball leagues, and blood drives in equal measure. old lesbians
Here’s a blog post written with warmth, respect, and a touch of humor—honoring the resilience, visibility, and wisdom of older lesbians. In Plain Sight: Celebrating the Power, Wisdom, and Resilience of Old Lesbians That’s the energy
We see you. We thank you. And we promise to pass it on. Not “elderly LGBTQ+ individuals
And now, too often, they’re invisible. Here’s the strange thing: in queer spaces, youth is celebrated. On dating apps, in gay bars, on TikTok—the spotlight skews young. And in straight spaces, old lesbians face double erasure. Ageism from one side. Homophobia (or, more gently, “discomfort”) from the other. Walk into a typical senior center holding another woman’s hand, and you’ll still get stares.
There’s a photo I keep coming back to. It’s from the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. In the foreground, a woman with silver-streaked hair and a denim jacket stands holding a hand-painted sign that reads: “Old Lesbians: We Are Everywhere.”