Abstract Older bisexual women report a less positive sense of their sexual identity, less belonging in LGBTQ communities, and worse mental health outcomes compared to lesbian counterparts. These patterns are consistent with those identified among younger bisexual cohorts and appear to be connected to how bisexual identities are perceived and experienced; however, sexual identities take on unique meaning by gender and age and across historical contexts. To explore how older bisexual women construct and make meaning out of bisexual identities, this study applied a Foucauldian discursive and critical feminist conceptual framing to examine semi-structured interviews with women ages 60+ (N = 12). Although participants described ambivalence toward sexual labels, bisexuality created freedom and possibility in the full context of their lives. This study illustrates the contributions of discourse analysis in revealing nuanced constructions of bisexuality as well as the need for acknowledgment of life context in research and practice with older bisexual individuals.

中文翻译：

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标签中的矛盾，生活中的自由：老年女性对双性恋身份的话语建构

摘要 与女同性恋者相比，年长的双性恋女性对自己的性身份认同感较低，在 LGBTQ 社区中的归属感较低，心理健康状况更差。这些模式与在年轻双性恋群体中发现的模式一致，似乎与双性恋身份的感知和体验方式有关；然而，性别认同因性别和年龄以及跨历史背景而具有独特的意义。为了探索老年双性恋女性如何从双性恋身份中构建和理解意义，本研究应用福柯式的话语和批判性女权主义概念框架来检查对 60 岁以上女性（N = 12）的半结构化访谈。尽管参与者描述了对性标签的矛盾心理，但双性恋在他们生活的整个环境中创造了自由和可能性。