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Explore the coming out narratives in a group of older gay men.

A narrative gerontological approach was employed to explore the coming out narratives of older gay men. Semi‐structured digitally recorded individual interviews were undertaken with 12 gay men aged between 65 and 81 years who lived in the community. Data were analysed using a narrative data analytic process.

Three collective narratives related to the coming out of older gay men were identified: ‘early gay experiences’, ‘trying not to be gay’ and ‘acceptance’.

Older gay men come from diverse socio‐cultural backgrounds. However, they all grew up in an era where same‐sex attraction was a criminal offence. The path to accepting being a gay man was individualised and stressful for these participants. Consequently health and social service providers need to support the ongoing development of resilience and …