Midlife Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents

by Adelman; Marcy R

• ISBN13: 9781560231424
• ISBN10: 1560231424
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-08-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

What awaits lesbians at middle age? Midlife Lesbian Relationships explores the rich world of lesbian relationships at midlife, from dating through the loss of parents, and describes the central relationship between who we are as adults and our connections with friends, lovers, parents, and children. Midlife Lesbian Relationships will help lesbians and the professionals who counsel them navigate and understand the midlife transition. Offering both theoretical and descriptive material, this timely work discusses the difficulties of stigma and the strengths of female same-sex relationships, providing insight into the challenges lesbians find at middle age. Midlife Lesbian Relationships provides insight into the challenges and solutions of middle age for lesbians, discussing: friendships dating and courtship couple relationships and the key ingredients that strengthen and deepen them parenting young children and the influence of lesbian midlife maturation on confidence and satisfaction in mothering substance abuse and the road to recovery the evolution of the bonds between these women and their biological families what many lesbians in middle age go through when their parents pass away, including the easing of internalized homophobia Midlife Lesbian Relationships illustrates the commonalities and differences between lesbians and other women at midlife, and illuminates how the interplay between middle age and relationships can contribute to midlife development. Make this valuable volume part of your collection!

Table of Contents

Perface	xiii
Lesbian Friendships at Midlife: patterns and Possibilities for the 21st Century	1	(32)
Jacqueline S. Weinstock
The Bloom is on the Rose: The Impact of Midlife on the Lesbian Couple	33	(16)
Valory Mitchell
Filial Bereavement: Midlife Lesbian Daughters and Intersubjective Thoughts	49	(28)
Jeanette Gurevitch
Lesbian Dating and Courtship from Young Adulthood to Midlife	77	(28)
Suzanna Rose
Debra Zand
Making up for Lost Time: Chemically Dependent Lesbians in Later Midlife	105	(14)
Dana G. Finnegan
Emily B. McNally
Midlife Lesbian Parenting	119	(20)
Christa Donaldson
Family Support Patterns for Midlife Lesbians: Recollections of a Lesbian Couple 1971-1997	139	(14)
Sharon M. Raphael
Mina K. Meyer
Index	153