Welcome from Yvonne

I want to welcome you to our new blog for Late Bloomers. Coming out later in life can catch us a bit by surprise. Questions may come up that cause a lot of anxiety and confusion.  But it may also feel as though something very important is taking place; coming out late in life can be a great discovery and the beginning of a new adventure in our lives.

In Germany the initiative "Late Bloomers" began in 2006 as part of the larger initiative called "Lesbischer Herbst."  This means "lesbian autumn" which is a symbol for the "second half of life." I offered workshops for late bloomers in our lesbian conferences. I also held small weekend seminars for women who wanted to tell their stories and support each other in answering questions. 

In recent years we have heard about celebrities who came out as lesbian after years of living in relationships with men. But there are also many "ordinary" people like you and me who come out later in life.

I was 48 years old when I discovered my deep love for a woman. This led me to leave my husband and enter a new phase in my life.  The first years were very difficult - especially since I had four children who had to adjust to these new realities as well. But these hard years passed and I have found my feet in this new reality. 

At the time I was going through all the turmoil, I didn't know that there were other women who also came out late.  I felt alone and overwhelmed.  This is one of the reasons that I decided to start the German "Late Bloomer" initiative.

In the last years I have discovered groups of late-in-life lesbians online and have had the pleasure of participating in several forums.  Now a group of women who live in Europe have started an initiative that is open to any women living in Europe.  The main language will be English, but I am sure that we will find ways to support anyone who doesn't feel very comfortable with this language. 

I look forward to hearing from you and hope to welcome you to the support group.  Just send an email to let us know a bit about you and why you would like to join us.

many greetings,

Yvonne Ford