1. Objectifs

Intentions :
The goal of this research «was to give voice to women from a hidden population and present a snapshot of the challenges they faced when grieving a same-sex partner at a particular place and time.» (p. 71)

Questions/Hypothèses :
This research aims to answer the following question: «How do older women experience the loss of a same-sex partner?»

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Selection was based on the following criteria: [I]dentifying as a woman and being 65 years old or over, [h]aving been in a same-sex relationship and having lost a same-sex partner at least one year before the date of the first interview and, [b]eing able and willing to take part in two interviews to share their experience. [The] 10 participants were women living in the Greater Montreal area, in the province of Quebec, Canada.» (p. 64)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«In line with Ahmed’s (2006) suggestion that being part of a couple legitimises the identity of lesbian women, our results show that the death of a partner impacts the survivor’s sense of social positioning. A narrative of struggle linked to visibility can be discerned from the stories shared by most of our participants. Over the years, many of them overcame barriers to affirm their sexual identity and introduce their partner to larger circles. For many, this movement of affirmation culminated in seeing their partners’ death as an opportunity to formally name and honour them. This was a particularly proud moment for some, one when they found the strength to put aside their fear of rejection to pay tribute. It seems as if the time of their partner’s death represented a peak in some of our participants’ visibility, as if, at this moment in time, the relationship was still strong enough to support them through the challenge of honouring it. […] Our participants lost a partner between 1998 and 2014, so their experiences encompass a period where many legal and social changes took place in Canada. While many participants acknowledged how quickly things were changing, their narratives also show that the history of stigma they experienced to various degrees still influences how they go about veiling or unveiling their sexual identity.» (p. 71)