Invoking Community: Rethinking the Health of Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Drawing on interviews with lesbian and bisexual women in Atlantic Canada, this paper challenges narrow definitions of health by centering community, identity, and belonging as essential components of well-being.

Exploring themes such as isolation, invisibility, safer sex education, and the pressures of community norms, the authors reveal how health is shaped not only by access to care, but by the ability to live authentically and find support within one’s community.

More than two decades later, the paper remains deeply relevant in conversations about inclusive healthcare, 2SLGBTQIA+ health equity, and the ongoing need for research and systems that reflect diverse lived experiences.