Let’s talk about old lesbians.

There’s a photo I keep coming back to. It’s from the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. In the foreground, a woman with silver-streaked hair and a denim jacket stands holding a hand-painted sign that reads: “Old Lesbians: We Are Everywhere.”

And now, too often, they’re invisible. Here’s the strange thing: in queer spaces, youth is celebrated. On dating apps, in gay bars, on TikTok—the spotlight skews young. And in straight spaces, old lesbians face double erasure. Ageism from one side. Homophobia (or, more gently, “discomfort”) from the other. Walk into a typical senior center holding another woman’s hand, and you’ll still get stares.