Morgan Lieberman (@thechromaticsheep) is a visual artist from Los Angeles, USA, whose recent commissions include The Washington Post, TIME and National Geographic. She’s currently working on her first photography book, which features senior lesbian partnerships. Morgan has met with over 50 partnerships in 10 different U.S. states. You can donate to help cover travel costs.
Lesbians love seeing older lesbian couples in love. Lesbians growing old together itch a scratch in a world that told us it’s just a phase. “I think it is tremendously rewarding to see tender imagery of our elders because it is evidence for the inner child in all of us that we, too, can age and have a fulfilling love long term. It is a reminder that we are allowed to be who we are and it should be celebrated,” says Morgan.
“Not only do we love photographs of older lesbians, but we love collecting imagery of lesbians from the past. Sorry to all of the lesbians reading this article that I outbid on eBay for the rare lesbian tintypes from the 1800’s!”
Morgan says her project has been very healing, as she witnesses unashamed love between women who experienced less socially acceptable times. “The women I have met have risked so much and really fought for the lives they lead now, so I hope readers recognize a sense of peace in the imagery, too.
“I would say across the board, older women feel a lack of visibility in some manner, which is something I contemplated as I began the project and thought about the mirroring lack of visibility for these same women when they were much younger.”
Lesbian history has been made invisible, too, due to “underground modes of storytelling.” Morgan enjoys building a visual archive to “contribute to this canon of storytelling but in a very visible way.” She sees the couples as “symbolic role models for those who learn more about them and their incredible timelines to the present.”
Artistic process
When it comes to deliberate decisions during the artistic process that reflect her values of empathy and justice, Morgan relies on intuition. “I try to ponder less about what has already been made and if I will repeat a similar narrative, but more about what I would like to see represented in my unique visual voice.”
When an artist comes from a genuine place, empathy-driven narratives come naturally. “I feel strongly that my TIME project documenting women with disabilities in the months that followed the overturning of Roe v. Wade was impactful coverage since disabled women were often being left out of the conversation of abortion rights/reproductive resources.
“I travelled to Oklahoma and Texas, where the ban was in effect, and it was powerful for audiences to hear the perspectives of women being directly impacted by the ban. Every photo project I have worked on so far has a common thread of bringing to light what is often unseen or wanting to honor communities in their collective empowerment.”
Morgan’s art is subtly political in the way it invites you to understand the lives of marginalised people. “In a way, I see the active choice of pursuing these kinds of narratives as justice-oriented because it gives further visibility to the topic on large platforms where there can be tremendous reach.”
Finding senior lesbians
I was fascinated by how Morgan found so many older lesbian partnerships who were happy to let her into their homes to photograph them. In my experience, older lesbians often lead private lives and may understandably be a little untrusting of strangers’ motives.
“The lesbian pipeline is strong!” according to Morgan. “I began with various Facebook groups in cities across the West and also turned to publications like Lesbian Connection to place ads for my project. The majority of the project is word of mouth, so it has been a blast for me to be connected from one couple to their friends in another state when I plan the next leg of my trip.”
Morgan remains transparent and communicative to earn trust and comfort. “I often have Zoom meetings or phone calls with each partnership before the shoot so they can get to know my process, and they can ask me questions about the narrative as a whole. I also love to ask them about their origin story and some more details about their life in the current moment.
“I have been very fortunate that the majority of the couples I have reached out to have responded with great enthusiasm and openness. Very few partnerships have said no to me and if they have said no, I firmly believe it is a safety concern for them. It is a sacred experience for me to enter their homes as a very new face and to leave as a friend. I keep in touch with a lot of the women I photograph, and since many of them are especially active on Facebook/social media, I get to see weekly updates of their travels and experiences in retirement.
Morgan’s advice for lesbian artists wanting to connect with older lesbians? “Reach out to the LGBTQ+ centre closest to the city you are looking to visit and see if they are willing to send out an email or put you in a newsletter to raise awareness for the project you are working on. Also, place an ad in Lesbian Connection! If you aren’t looking to travel and just want to learn more about lesbian elders for your creative work, check out OUTWORDS, the largest LGBTQ+ elder archive in the country.”
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