Speaking the Same Language: Oral Histories of Older Lesbians in Hong Kong

Integrating the Life Stories of Older Lesbians into Asian Queer Historical Research
Includes five interviews and three academic papers
Eight years of field research across Hong Kong, Taipei, and Singapore

How did Hong Kong women, born between the late 1930s and late 1950s, define love and intimacy? One danced a 17-year three-person tango, another vowed to be a gay man in her next life, one had countless romances but still lives alone, one found true love at fifty, and another, also at fifty, entered the closet due to religion.

Today, they have reached their golden years.

This book combines moving life stories with a queer studies perspective, leading readers to understand older queer women in Asia. It explores how, under specific historical contexts and cultural influences, they courageously and independently transcended gender role boundaries to explore and practice same-sex desires.

"The fact that I'm talking about what happened back then doesn't mean I would have told people about it at the time," said Ah On.

"I still love to go out now, but with a cane, it's hard to get around," said Ah Po. "That kind of happiness is fleeting, but I enjoy it. This is my world, even if this world might be very lonely."

"If there could be a queer village where everyone speaks the same language, that would definitely be perfect," said Yeung Yeung.