Midlife Sapphic Revelation in the Digital Age: How Digital Media Support Coming Out Later

By: Gina M. Masullo

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Synopsis: This book documents the lived experiences of women and nonbinary people who came out as queer in middle age, often after long heterosexual marriages. Using a survey and in-depth interviews, it documents the experiences of way-later-in-life sapphics as they come out, navigate dating apps, and join LGBTQIA+ communities on social media. The author complements this analysis by exploring their own experience coming out as queer and nonbinary in my 50s after a 22-year relationship with their ex-husband. They explore the role digital media—social media, online communities, and dating apps—played in supporting and complicating the process of self-discovery and coming out. This volume stands as a subversive statement—&“We&’re here, we&’re queer, get used to it&”—against the threats on LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States.