Because older LGB adults are a hard-to-reach population, I relied on non-probability sampling methods (e.g., convenience, snowball) to recruit the participants; this method is consistent with most studies of this population ( Fredriksen-Goldsen & Kim, 2017). I also relied on a feature of respondent-driven sampling methods, wherein participants are asked to have their peers contact me directly if they desired to participate in the study (see Heckathorn, 1997).
Finally, integrative memos were written as part of the analysis process, a practice used to record reflective thoughts about themes that are emerging in the data (Emerson et al
Most interviews were conducted in person or by phone in the Southeast and Midwest. Flyers containing study information were also hung at houses of worship, coffee shops, bars, etc. in a Southeastern state to recruit a diverse array of people. In addition, I recruited from social spaces from the LGB community, including online, community-based organizations, LGBTQ centers, senior centers, and retirement communities that specifically serve older LGBTQ people. I also identified gatekeepers for the study at local https://kissbridesdate.com/peruvian-women/ organizations, who helped recruit participants.
Consistent with qualitative research practices, all interviews were transcribed verbatim; participants were also assigned a pseudonym to ensure anonymity. Data were coded with ATLAS.ti, a qualitative software program. Using an interpretivist approach, I sought to discern how older LGB adults make sense of late-life plans. In doing so, my goal was to uncover meaning-making processes in the lives of participants, including motivations behind attitudes and behaviors (Krauss, 2005). In addition, I took detailed notes during and after interviews, which allowed me to enter the coding process with ideas about themes that had emerged across the interviews. I use line-by-line coding to identify patterns in the data that are not yet apparent and focused coding to collapse some of the overlapping themes into more general categories (Charmaz, 2002; Emerson et al., 1995). , 1995).
Here, additional methodological reflection is in order. The use of retrospective data was crucial for documenting how risks faced earlier in life compromise quality of life in late adulthood, but it is also subject to recall bias. Nevertheless, qualitative data are inherently subjective, and the retelling of past events is rarely an objective process; stories reflect the socially constructed nature of reality (DeVault & Gross, 2012; Miller, 2019). In addition, I paid careful attention to how insider/outsider dynamics may have shaped the interview process. Although my identity as a lesbian woman helped me build rapport, I was also an outsider by virtue of my age as a woman in her early 30s. The outsider status prompted me to utilize more open-ended interviewing tactics, as it became clear that I did not know all the right questions to ask as a younger lesbian; using a less structured interviewing approach also boded well for gleaning deeper insight into participants’ lives. Thus, my research was an ongoing reflexive process that pushed me to capture a trustworthy and valid account of participants’ lives-one in which the view of the social actor was also honored (Cohen & Crabtree, 2008).
Participants
At the time of data collection, participants ranged in age between 55 and 83, although the mean age is 61. Seventy-five percent of the sample are boomers, whereas 25% belong to the silent generation. Sixty-one percent of the sample identify as men. In addition, the sample is predominately white (96%). Sixty percent were ple have children. The sample is also highly educated insofar as 70% of the sample hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, the sample is largely nonreligious (61%).