Loneliness and Belongingness in Older Lesbians: The Role of Social Groups as "Community"

This article explores loneliness and isolation in older lesbians, looking at the benefits offered by an over-55 fortnightly social group in Yorkshire. I argue that the women interviewed were more vulnerable to loneliness than their heterosexual counterparts as a direct consequence of many years of privacy and self-concealment and because they were more likely to be single, childless, and have fractured relationships with birth families; all significant losses viewed by the women as the "price you paid" for being a lesbian. Although the group did not completely alleviate loneliness, it provided a place of safety and offered a sanctuary where participants could be themselves and where friendships and other groups were formed. For many women, the group's exclusivity to older lesbians and bisexual women was deeply significant and influenced their decision to attend. I suggest that such groups have a vital role to play in promoting older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender well-being and offering protection against loneliness and isolation in older age.