Subjective Aging: Variation by Sexual Orientation

• In Event: 499 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Aging in Diverse Contexts

Abstract

The past few decades have seen increased scholarly attention to aging in gay and lesbian populations; however, few studies examine differences by sexual orientation in subjective experiences of aging. The small literature presents conflicting results, with some studies finding the experience to present more challenges to the self- and body-conceptions of sexual minorities, others finding the reverse, and still others reporting few differences. However, studies suggest a hypothesis that we explore in our research: The subjective experience of growing older may be more negative for homosexual than heterosexual men, but the reverse may be true for women. To test this hypothesis, we use the first wave of Midlife in the United States (1995-96). Some results support the hypothesis, but most do not. Consistent with our predictions, heterosexual women report more youthful identities and more positive views of young adulthood than do lesbian women. They also report conceptions of middle age as occurring later for men, compared with lesbian women’s views. Differences between lesbian and heterosexual women are not found in conceptions of the timing of women’s middle age or views of middle or later life. We find fewer differences among men. Contrary to our predictions, gay men report older (or less youthful) identities than do heterosexual men. They also report a later age as the start of middle age for women. Analyses will explore potential age differences in the association between sexual orientation and subjective aging, as well as variation by sexual orientation in the subjective aging’s effects on well-being.

Authors

• Anne E. Barrett, Florida State University

• Harry Barbee, Florida State University