"Eksklusjonen har gitt oss frihet på andre områder." : Et kvalitativt intervjustudie om lesbisk aldring

Sammanfattning: Abstract The concept of a woman's value, possibilities and visibility within the world being linked to youthfulness and fertility, is widely discussed in various contexts. This thesis seeks to focus on female aging specifically within lesbian communities, and thus in contrast investigate whether heterosexuality, a heteronormative lifestyle and the male gaze are determining factors in women socio-culturally turning "invisible" after middle age. While there is research done on LGBTQ aging, mainly highlighting vulnerabilites and marginalization, there seems to be a lack of explorations on whether there may be socio-cultural advantages to living a queer, older life. Focusing on how the subject positions are fleeting and ever-changing in time and space, I wish to shed light upon the complex lived experience of being woman, old(er) and LGBTQ.  My research indicates that there are indeed several strengths and advantages related to the quality of life in the generation of current older lesbians. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with seven lesbian women aged between 53 and 78.  Keywords: ageism, lhbtq, lesbianism, intersectionality, queer ageing, male gaze