Coming Out & Beyond Support for Women Questioning Their Sexuality Later in Life

Joan Alexander is a Spiritual Director & Supervisor who came out as a lesbian in her mid-forties. Twenty years later, she is here to share a bit of her life story...how she worked in The Anglican Church of Canada, told her sons she was queer via email, met the love of her life (a same-gender priest) in The Church, was disowned by her siblings for making this "choice" and...how today she serves others on similar journeys in her practice of spiritual direction and supervision. Visit Joan Alexander's website: www.joanalexanderspiritualdirector.com Joan's Contemplative Circle for Queer Women is a six-session opportunity to practice and participate in contemplative listening within a community of queer women who are coming out later in life. Coming from a variety of spiritual/religious backgrounds and perhaps in the processes of deconstructing and reconstructing lives – all will be welcome here! This group will meet on: DATES (Tuesdays): March 7 & March 21, 2023 April 4 & 18, 2023 May 2 &16, 2023 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time If you'd like to participate, please reach out to Joan at [email protected].  Book a free Discovery Call with Anne-Marie. Download the free Coming Out Guide here. Learn more about Lotus Group Coaching here. Follow Anne-Marie on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to the Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and on www.annemariezanzal.com 

Stephannie Weikert is a Certified Yoga Therapist and creator of the Make Peace with Stress method. She wants to live in a world where all women flourish because she knows that when women thrive everyone benefits.   She mentors women who feel stuck and struggle with overwhelm and self-doubt to incorporate the time-tested wisdom of yoga into their daily lives so that they can be balanced, calm, and confident.  When she's not teaching women to use life’s challenges as catalysts for growth, she can usually be found hiking or planning to hike all the trails, reading, practicing ukulele, or working on her first book about how to make peace with stress.   Discover more about Stephannie and Make Peace with Stress at makepeacewithstress.com. Follow Stephannie on Instagram  Follow Stephannie on Facebook  Book a Discovery Call with Anne-Marie  Download the free Coming Out Guide 

Christine Gardner Terpening is an artist, an entrepreneur, a mother and also a late in life lesbian. Christine was born and raised in the rural community of Vermontville, Michigan. Raised in a time where she knew something was “shamefully” different about her, but didn’t quite understand that she may be gay. She spent her youth in rodeo and reigned as Miss Rodeo Michigan 1992. She later married her wonderful high school sweetheart and Naval Veteran husband and had three beautiful kids with horses and a hobby farm. Despite having the “perfect” life, Christine fell out of the closet less than gracefully at 44. Lost, scared, and lonely, she could no longer deny her truth. Thanks to her loving kids, family and a few solid friends, she weathered the storm, gathered her feet underneath her, and swore she would help others to not go through what she went through (or at least not do it alone). She started a business called Happy Suz & Co selling her designs of positive LGBTQ+ merchandise with “Something for everyone under the rainbow.” Most importantly, Christine started I’ll Be Your Rock, a rural LGBTQ+ youth support. Meant to be local, this support group has drawn youth from many communities even as far as an hour away. Christine’s dream is to have a chapter of I’ll Be Your Rock in every rural community where queer resources are limited to non-existent. Thanks to “Rocks” that have joined in her queer crusade, Vermontville Michigan is hosting their very first Pride geared solely towards teens and younger. Vermontville Youth Pride will be August 20 and hopes to raise rural awareness and funds for the kids in this community and beyond. From Christine: Christine Gardner Terpening [email protected] I can be followed or friended on FB I can be reached on messenger. Any child or a parent struggling to find support for their child can contact me any way they feel comfortable. We have a private FB group that is for youth, but parents may also join if their kids don’t have FB. You can also follow me at Vermontville Youth Pride, Moonshine Fine Art Studio, or Happy Suz & Co on FB. This started in Vermontville but we don’t turn any kid away. Our FB group is available to anyone, near or far and it’s private and discreet.

Michelle identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ family as intersex. In this podcast she shares her story of finding out that she is intersex at 15 and how her family navigated this time. After the death of her young son she realized that she needed to revisit this time of her life to explore the unexamined grief and shame around her diagnosis. Michelle has recently come out as a proud member of the intersex family.

Mary is a transformational travel junkie and explorer of inner and outer landscapes. She loves to discover what lights people up and help move them in that direction. As a connector, reflector, motivator and reverent passenger of this planet, Mary builds adventure trips and specialty retreats which inspire deeper connections to the self, to others and to the Earth. She’s a Colorado resident, but calls many places home; hiking in the high desert, anywhere on a bike, in the presence of ancient Redwoods or in a kayak at sunrise. One of her core beliefs is that “Nature nurtures,” that it’s a powerful catalyst for personal growth, and that unplugged outdoor experiences result in calmer, more grounded humans, often looking toward their futures with new eyes. Providing women a conduit for this kind of transformation is her jam, and the driving force behind her new endeavor, Women OUT West Tours. Mary worked as a midwife and women’s health clinician for 20 years until a 10-day solo “walkabout” in the high desert radically shifted her perspective. Her mission now is to help other women on the path towards their best iteration, using Nature as a conduit. Her other side gigs include being mom to two phenomenal man-children, sharing a Maine Coon with her ex-husband down the street, and spending an inordinate amount of time crafting adventures in her head.

Ash France (she/her) is a somatic practitioner who works one on one with queer women who are coming out later in life and are longing to create secure relationships as they identify & heal unhealthy relationship patterns. Ash is originally from Oklahoma, and recently got engaged to Dawna Noble after moving to Oregon last year. She’s the host of the podcast, Queer Couples Conversations, where she & her fiancé, Dawna, talk all things queer relationships & how to build one that can last. Queer Couples Conversations dropped TODAY, so please listen, follow, rate & review! You can connect with Ash on Instagram @ashfrancecoaching Dawna Noble is a lgbtq+ relationship specialist that is trained in a psychobiological biological approach to couples therapy and currently works with Queer couples showing them how to build secure and lasting relationship in her Queer Couples Mastery program.She is also the co-host Queer Couples Conversations with her soon to be wife Ash France. You can find Dawna at Lgbtq+ Couples Specialist on Instagram.

Listen to Rebecca's inspiring story, coming out while practicing Judaism.

Suzette Mullen is an author, retreat leader, and certified book coach who helps LGBTQ+ writers and allies start and finish nonfiction books they will be proud to share with the world. Her mission is to use her gifts and passion for justice to help birth LGBTQ+ stories that bring light, hope, and connected to people who feel alone or othered. And maybe, just maybe, change hearts and minds, one story at a time, in the process. Suzette is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, and also holds a certificate in spiritual formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. In 2019, she brought her passion for justice to her new hometown of Lancaster PA and co-founded The Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition. The proud mom of two adult sons, she is loving this chapter of life with her wife Wendy and their rescue pup Lucy—and is forever grateful the universe nudged her to take a detour five years ago to Central Pennsylvania where she's been embraced with open arms by friends of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations.

Are you considering or in the process of divorce? Lawyer Shanon Oury gives some tips and advice on how to navigate through this time of your life.     Shannon Oury (she/her) – practiced law for 20 years before changing careers to follow her passion to provide affordable housing to low income families. She was appointed as the Executive Director of the Lawrence Housing Authority in January of 2011. She is a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board for Lawrence, Kansas, served on the Board for the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health and is the convener for the Community Health Plan for the Safe and Affordable Housing initiative. She is involved in several nationwide organizations that promote affordable housing. She is an adventurer, avid kayaker, and hiker. She has two adult daughters that share her quest for adventure.

Carla Mullins is an adjunct instructor, mental health therapist, mother, wife, extreme introvert, friend of cats, lifelong pacific northwesterner, and increasingly fearless lesbian poet.  Check out Carla's first published poem here: https://www.lavrev.net/2021/12/c-eliot-mullins.html?m=1

Mother of two kids, a 21 year old transgender daughter, cisgender daughter. Writer, online content stratigist and creator. From Barbara: If folks would like to follow my adventures in growing flowers they can connect with Queen Bee Flower Farm on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the website at www.queenbeeflowerfarm.com.

Anne-Marie Zanzal and Tonda McKay share their heartfelt love story, highlighting the unique journey of coming out later in life as a lesbian couple. With Anne-Marie's transition from identifying as a married mother to embracing her true self, the couple discusses the complexities and joys of their relationship. They explore the challenges they faced, including navigating past traumas and societal expectations, while emphasizing the importance of being open to love and connection. Their candid conversation delves into the emotional labor involved in their relationship, showcasing how they support each other through difficult times. Ultimately, Anne-Marie and Tonda's story is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and the beauty of discovering one's identity at any age.

Andrea Hewitt who came out at the age of 44 after having two children and being married to two different men. Finding very few resources for people coming out later on in life she created the website a late life lesbian story in 2015 and created a facebook support group in 2016 that grew over 2,000 folks worldwide. She lives in Nashville Tennesee with her wife Rachel and owns a dual agency.

Anna Empey grew up on a 2,000-acre apple and fruit orchard in Eastern Washington. While growing up she went to the farmers market selling her family fruit until she left to go to college. She graduated with her degree from Brigham Young University in Anthropology, with a Minor in Communications. Anna came out to her Mormon family when she was 25 and her and her wife just celebrated 3 years of marriage. Anna loves supporting small businesses and has created a business to help others and she has also spent countless hours volunteering for a variety LGBTQ organizations.

Miriam Grace, Psychotherapist, Writer, Supervisor, and Lecturer, works remotely from her home in Sheffield, UK. She has been in practice for over 30 years and her current research and writing focuses on women in midlife transitions, which include sexuality; health, disability and aging; menopause; caring for elderly parents; career and confidence; divorce and heartbreak; empty nest syndrome and living with teenagers. Her enthusiasm, care, and knowledge for clients and students is appreciated by many in individual sessions, groups, workshops, and coaching. Her specialisms are trauma, relationships, and women coming out later in life. For more details of Miriam’s professional story or training qualifications and accreditations see Miriam Grace or her home page www.blue-skies.org.uk

Pasha Marlowe holds a masters in marriage and family therapy and currently works as a therapeutic comedy coach and pleasure podcast host. Check out Pasha across the web: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pasha.marlowe IG-@pashamarlowe "Let Pleasure be the Measure" Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-pleasure-be-the-measure/id1548282200 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3VqgHlOwxvsTRZKK9W1PgI?si=rVRzdIvsSialJPCthLURAA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIKCBH-7r-wwkvzRlVJGFA

April grew up Independent Fundamentalist Baptist. Our discussion focuses on coming out from a conservative religious background. We reflect on faith, God, and finding community.

Javana (like Banana) is a 40 years old, mom to two children, business owner, holistic dentist, intuitive and tarot card reader. She used to be a fundamental evangelical Christian, she had her spiritual awakening in 2011, and then her sexual awakening in 2018. For more info on Javana's dental practice: www.naturallyyoudentist.com

Robin describes herself as a VERY late-blooming lesbian who really wasn’t aware of any romantic feelings toward women while growing up. Although in hindsight, she does remember what she would describe today, as a “crush” on her female tennis instructor when she was just 8 or 9 years old. Robin supposes, but isn’t sure, that the sudden death of her mother, when she was 10, may have hijacked any possibility of realizing any other sexuality other than what was hetero-normative growing up. Fast forward decades later, (while married to a man for 28 years, and has 2 grown daughters), she unassumingly “followed the breadcrumbs” of an emerging infatuation with women. When that infatuation grew to the point of not being able to ignore it, Robin employed rather unconventional ways to finally get to the bottom of all these strong and increasing with frequency ‘girl crushes’, until she finally had her “AHA!” moment! Bloomers-society.mn.co (A (free) community of late blooming lesbians of all ages and stages of their personal journeys of coming out; sharing stories and solutions and friendships). They also have an Instagram account: @bloomers.society; and a Facebook Group (search “Bloomers Society). Lesbianbarproject.com (Last year, two young NY film producers set out to raise awareness AND funds for the floundering 15 remaining US Lesbian Bars. They produced a short documentary and fundraised for a month. Based on last year’s success, they’re embarking on Lesbian Bar Project #2 this year with yet another documentary and a special event at a NY Lesbian Bar re-opening in June. Check their website for details about events and how you can support their fundraising efforts.

Samantha Fox is a late bloomer, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in New York City and a guide/coach for women coming-out later in life in her newly launched program Curious, Questioning and Coming Out. Mother of three humans and 2 fur babes. Samantha came out after marriage with three kids under 5 years of age almost twenty years ago, in 2002, when there was little support for women going through this awakening. Samantha has created a program called Curious, Questioning and Coming out. Samantha is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in NYC specializing in women’s sexuality and has been helping women explore this area of their lives for over ten years. This program creates a safe space for women to find community, adopt a curious-mindset, thrive and connect, while supporting one another through the process of questioning their sexuality and coming out later in life. Self-understanding, belonging and acceptance are a few of the invaluable takeaways from this small group and 1:1 coaching program.

Judy grew up in Nashville, Tennessee in a Roman Catholic family. She came out in the early 1970’s and live in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis. Her story is a testament to the courageousness underground culture of those who came out out in the South. Judy is a website designer and writer/mentor. You can find her at site-shack.com or www.judyannwilson.com.

Megan was married to a man, mom of four, and came out at 38.  She is a therapist who lives in the northeast and she works with the queer community.

Tammie came out at 50 after marriage to a man and three kids. She lives in the Northwest and works as a non-profit director.

Karin came out at fifty after marriage to a man and three children.  Her story is poignant as she speaks with deep understanding about leaving a long time relationship and her current estrangement from her children.

JoAnne first wondered if she might be gay in her mid 40s when her 20 year marriage was ending, but then met another man with whom she had a good sex life so she thought "I guess I was just with the wrong partner".  She got married again at age 48 and became a widow six years later.  At age 55 she fell in love with a woman and she felt comfortable in her own skin for the first time in her adult life.

Olivia Hill was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the parent of two children and came out at fifty two as a trans woman. She served 10 years in the US Navy and worked at Vanderbilt University for 25 years. She is on the Board of Directors for Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Women's Committee fighting for Women's rights, and was elected to the University Staff Advisory Council and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Terri Conroy came out at 43 after being married to a man for 17 years and having 2 kids. She always knew she was gay but like so many others, her conservative upbringing made any chance of coming out and being accepted non-existent. It was only when she started to teach my teenaged children to be true and honest with themselves that she realized she needed to “walk the talk”. She came out, divorced and her xh and kids are doing well and no one was traumatized. It had its moments of heartache and challenges but it was all worth it. Terri is now living as an out and authentic person in a loving and healthy relationship with a woman.

Carla came out in her late thirties. She is the mom of two kids and is a voice teacher in Seattle. You can find her thttp://www.carlahilderbrand.com

Kristy came out at 36 after marriage to a man and two sons. She shares a home with her partner, Brandie in Maine, along with their five dogs! She is an artist, photographer, writer and does tarot and oracle reads along with self care mental health clips on TikTok and Youtube. You can follow her at @Healwithkristylee

Marissa Mitchell is a high school English teacher who came out at the age of 39. She resides in Indiana with her daughter and two cats and enjoys reading, roller skating, and writing poetry in her spare time.