Lesbian epiphanies : women coming out in later life / Karol L. Jensen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jensen, Karol L.

Series:

Haworth gay & lesbian studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Middle-aged lesbians--Middle West.

Middle-aged lesbians.

Middle West.

Coming out (Sexual orientation).

Physical Description:

x, 228 pages ; 21 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Harrington Park Press, [1999]

Summary:

Exploring identity development and gender orientation, Lesbian Epiphanies: Women Coming Out in Later Life contains firsthand information about the experiences and difficulties of women who discover and reveal their newfound lesbian sexuality in later life. Lesbian Epiphanies is unique because it quotes extensively from the interviews of 24 lesbians and bisexuals who had entered into heterosexual marriages. This book conveys the importance of early sexual awareness in terms of human lives instead of cold statistics. From the analysis of these 24 interviews, readers will learn about the psychological, erotic, and social processes of women who come out as lesbians or bisexuals after a heterosexual marriage. These women tell about realizing their same gender attractions and the barriers they faced, including negative attitudes toward lesbian women and the lack of strong role models.

This insightful book knocks down the sociological and psychological barriers that keep women from knowledge of their own real sexual orientation and offers invaluable advice on how to act upon this new knowledge. Lesbian Epiphanies is an intelligent book that considers the challenges that women experience in establishing their personal identity and their other-than-heterosexual orientation in a heterosexist society.

Contents:

Chapter 1. Sex Education and Information: In the United States, She Must Find Her Way in the Dark 13

Chapter 2. Why Do These Women Marry Men? 47

Chapter 3. How Do Women Establish Personal Identity and Gender Orientation in a Heterosexist Society? 65

Chapter 4. How Do Women Know? 113

Chapter 5. Where Are the Lesbian Role Models? 133

Chapter 6. Now That She Knows... 153.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-218) and index.

ISBN:

1560239646

1560239638

OCLC:

40723666