How to Date Younger Lesbians

Age difference in any relationship can bring with it a unique set of issues to deal with. Or it can be no big deal. Take two of Hollywood’s power lesbian couples for example. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are 15 years apart, and TV host and political commentator Rachel Maddow and her artist girlfriend, Susan Mikula, have roughly 13 years separating them.

These are both long-term committed relationships where both women are on equal playing ground.

It’s the level of maturity you should be looking at. If you’re dating a woman who is significantly younger than yourself, ask yourself the following:

• How long has she been out of the closet?
• Is she comfortable and open about being in a lesbian relationship?
• Is she able to take care of herself?
• Does she depend on her parents for financial support?

The stigma associated with dating a woman significantly younger has no grounds to stand on. How young is too young? 10 years? 20 years?

Society may indicate that relationships between two people who have a substantial age difference between them will not thrive in the long term. This makes no sense. Women in their 50s are now just as healthy and active as they were in their 30s.

American writer, activist and feminist Betty Friedan once said, “Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”

It’s not the responsibility of others to decide who you share your time with. If you meet a woman who treats you well and becomes your best friend, then age is just a number.