Abstract

This study examined bereavement in sexual-minority women whose partners had died. The study was exploratory and intended to describe the subjective experiences of participants. Five participants were interviewed. Four participants were White. One participant was of mixed White and Native American heritage. The five participants ranged from 35 to 50 years of age at the time of the partner's death. Two participants held undergraduate college degrees and three held graduate degrees. Four participants self-identified as lesbian and one participant self-identified as bisexual or sexually-fluid. Participants had been in primary relationships with their deceased partners from seven to ten years.

Four participants were interviewed twice and one participant was interviewed three times. First interviews were open-ended. Follow-up interviews were semi-structured. Eleven interviews in all were conducted. Interviews lasted from 62 minutes to 140 minutes. Participants were provided with transcripts of interviews and copies of their case narratives and asked for feedback on the accuracy of the data.

Interview data was analyzed qualitatively for themes and presented in case narratives. The data yielded five primary themes: experiences of disenfranchised grief; sources of support for sexual-minority women; the emotional impact of grief; ways of making meaning from loss; and ways of continuing bonds with the deceased partner. Results of this study indicate that United States society disenfranchises the grief of sexual-minority women whose partners have died.

Results also indicate that lesbian grievers receive important support from lesbian communities. The experience of one sexually-fluid participant suggests that bisexual or sexually-fluid women may experience even greater societal prejudice than lesbians, and that their grief may be even more disenfranchised. This study also suggests that traditional linear models of bereavement may be insufficient for explaining bereavement and that postmodern models may be more appropriate. Recommendations for counselors working with bereaved sexual-minority women are offered, as are recommendations for further research.