What is Ageism?
Ageism is a social disease.
Are you ageist?
Do you consider "young" a compliment and "old" a derogatory synonym for ugly, decrepit, out-of-date ("You don't look your age.")?
Do you speak/do for an Old Lesbian instead of letting her speak/do for herself and assume she needs help?
Do you view an Old Lesbian either as a burden or an icon, rather than as an equal with whom a reciprocal relationship is desirable?
Do you patronize a courageous Old Lesbian by trivializing her anger as "feistiness?" (Would you call Superman "feisty"?)
Do you categorize an outspoken Old Lesbian as "complaining,"
"difficult," or "crotchety?"
Do you assume that an Old Lesbian is asexual?
Are you unsupportive of an Old Lesbian looking for a partner, or disrespectful of an Old Lesbian's choice to be single?
Do you refrain from confronting ageist remarks because they are "not really meant that way?"
- All of the "still" questions: Are you still swimming, still dancing, still playing bridge, still cooking, still gardening, still writing poetry, still giving blood, still politicking, organizing, etc. etc. etc.
Add others Mary M. Morgan age 81 Ohio OLOC 3-5-07
Responses, Corrections, Rejoinders, Education to Combat Ageist Concepts
-
Old is not a 4-letter word.
-
You don't look your age is an ageist comment
-
I do look my age. This is what 74 looks like.
-
Old is O.K. I'm fine with it. I hope you get to live a long time too.
-
I'm not trying to "pass" as young. I'm old and really quite fabulous.
-
It's been a long time since I was young. Now I'm glad to be old.
-
OLOC is named Old Lesbians Organizing for Change because we embrace our oldness
-
and we combat ageism wherever we find it.
-
Serenity is not my goal. I accept challenges daily.
-
I am not a "young woman". I am an old woman and I expect to be treated with respect and recognition of my many years.
-
Isn't everyone "older" than someone?
-
Do you know any child, man or woman who is not getting older?
-
If you "didn't really mean it that way" how did you mean it?
-
I'm not middle age now. Been there—done that.
-
Old is spelled O-L-D, not B-A-D.
-
Growing old is a privilege granted to few women in this world. I am deeply grateful.
-
Ageism creates an ever expanding profit making market of "staying-young" products for people who fear getting old.
-
Aging is not a disease. It is a natural component of being alive.
-
Every living being ages. Good health and youth are not synonymous.
-
Orthopedists set broken bones for more patients under the age of 24 than they do for patients over 65.
-
I am a very old woman and I cherish every year that I have been privileged to live.
-
I do not want any years taken away from me pretending that I am young.
-
Anti-aging is a denial of life force. It is a quite dehumanizing concept.
-
Labeling us a "model" or "an idol" or a "wise crone" is a way of distancing
-
old women from women of different ages making us "the other".
- Don't assume we need help. Being available if asked for assistance is real sisterhood.
-
Growing old is a privilege granted to few women in this world. I am deeply grateful.
Mary M. Morgan, age 81
Ohio OLOC, 3-5-07
|