IMAGINING QUEER FUTURES BEYOND BOUNDARIES: A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF CREATIVE WRITING

Abstract

Scholars have called for “queering aging futures” beyond normative assumptions or scripts (Sandberg & Marshall, 2019), which is well-aligned with queer theory’s Cruising Utopia which suggests “cruising ahead” toward a queer utopian future that is not yet possible (Muñoz, 2009). Due to emphasis on form rather than content, narrative analyses enable the reimagining of queer futures not bound by material realities. This study presents a narrative analysis of 40 pieces of creative writing in Bi Women Quarterly (BWQ) that examine aging. Authors used writing to queer stories of relationships, activism, and aging. Many used incoherent, non-linear, and dreamlike or omnipotent storytelling to queer narratives, allowing them to “cruise” across time and versions of themselves, imagining futures that were new and unscripted. Narrative analysis allowed researchers to examine choices authors made in taking agency through storytelling. Findings indicate that queer people are well positioned to queer expectations of successful old age.

Full text

SESSION 2540 (SYMPOSIUM)
CREATIVE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
WITH LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER,
AND QUEER (LGBTQ+) OLDER ADULTS
Chair: AustinOswald Co-Chair: SaraBybee Discussant:
AustinOswald
The voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
(LGBTQ+) older adults are very often overlooked in research
contexts. Creative qualitative methods have been utilized to
study populations who have been neglected, empowering
marginalized communities, and fostering equitable research
processes and outcomes (Archibald & Blines, 2021; Jen &
Paceley, 2021; McGarry & Bowden, 2017). This innovative
symposium explores creative qualitative methods of data
collection and analysis, such as creative writing and poetry,
which have been employed in research about LGBTQ+ aging
and also describes how each method may provide a unique
contribution to the research process and literature. The rst
presentation describes the process of facilitating a weekly
creative writing group with LGBTQ+ older adults and how
creative writing can facilitate the retelling of life events and
reimaging of new futures. The second presentation describes
the process of analyzing pieces of creative writing in order
to elucidate the potential and possibility of queer futurities
and their implications for research on aging trajectories and
imaginings. The third presentation details how found poetry
created from dyadic semi-structured interviews sheds new
light on the relationships of LGBTQ+ couples facing cancer.
Through these three presentations, we will illustrate how
creative methods contribute strengths of generating evoca-
tive and poignant narratives, illuminating not-yet-possible
futures, and inspiring equally creative interventions. The
overall objective of this symposium is to explore creative
qualitative research methods for their utility in research with
LGBTQ+ older adults, ultimately fostering more inclusive
and nuanced research processes and products.
IMAGINING QUEER FUTURES BEYOND
BOUNDARIES: A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF
CREATIVE WRITING
SarahJen1, and RebeccaJones2, 1. University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas, United States, 2. Open University,
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Scholars have called for “queering aging futures” beyond
normative assumptions or scripts (Sandberg & Marshall,
2019), which is well-aligned with queer theory’s Cruising
Utopia which suggests “cruising ahead” toward a queer uto-
pian future that is not yet possible (Muñoz, 2009). Due to
emphasis on form rather than content, narrative analyses
enable the reimagining of queer futures not bound by ma-
terial realities. This study presents a narrative analysis of 40
pieces of creative writing in Bi Women Quarterly (BWQ)
that examine aging. Authors used writing to queer stories
of relationships, activism, and aging. Many used incoherent,
non-linear, and dreamlike or omnipotent storytelling to queer
narratives, allowing them to “cruise” across time and ver-
sions of themselves, imagining futures that were new and un-
scripted. Narrative analysis allowed researchers to examine
choices authors made in taking agency through storytelling.
Findings indicate that queer people are well positioned to
queer expectations of successful old age.
USING FOUND POETRY TO EXPLORE SEXUAL AND
GENDER MINORITY COUPLES' EXPERIENCES FACING
CANCER
SaraBybee1, KristinCloyes2, KathiMooney3,
KatherineSupiano1, BrianBaucom4, and LeeEllington5,
1. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States,
2. Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon,
United States, 3. University of Utah College of Nursing,
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 4. University of Utah
Department of Psychology, Salt Lake City, Utah, United
States, 5. University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer
Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
This study explored how relationships of sexual and
gender minority (SGM) couples change through the cancer
experience. Twelve couples (N=24) completed surveys as-
sessing demographics and dyadic semi-structured inter-
views. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview
transcripts. Participants had been together for 19.1years
on average (SD=9.9, R=9-44) and commonly described
dyadic strength and durability as a result of cancer. Using
in-vivo language extracted from the theme dyadic strength
and durability, a found poem was constructed depicting
how couples saw themselves as two-person teams united
against any external stressors. When SGM couples ex-
perienced cancer together, it resulted in feeling closer to
one another, like they could handle anything that came
their way, and assured them that they would stay together
regardless of any future hardships experienced. Creative
qualitative methods revealed SGM couples facing cancer
felt like unyielding, impenetrable, eternal duos with which
to be contended.
CREATIVE WRITING AS A TOOL FOR LESBIAN, GAY,
BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER (LGBTQ+)
HISTORY AND FUTURE MAKING
LujiraCooper1, and AustinOswald2, 1. Services and
Advocacy for GLBT Elders, New York, New York, United
States, 2. Goldsen Institute of the University of Washington
, Seattle, Washington, United States
The shift toward embracing creative methods in quali-
tative research opens new possibilities for gerontologists
and older adults to explore the nuances of aging and its
affective undertones. This paper describes the process of
facilitating a weekly creative writing group for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults
and their subjective experiences. Various creative writing
practices (e.g., poetry, ction, short story, biography) fa-
cilitates the retelling of life events and reimaging of new
futurities. Done in community, it creates opportunities
for social connectedness, collective meaning making, and
psychosocial and instrumental support. Creative writing
is a useful method for describing the LGBTQ+ aging ex-
perience not fully realized in gerontology. Our ndings
demonstrate the utility of creative methods in describing
and re-imagining LGBTQ+ aging histories and futures. We
argue for more creative methods that re-present the com-
plexities of LGBTQ+ aging.
136 Innovation in Aging, 2022, Vol. 6, No. S1
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