Dema Harshbarger era dichiaratamnete [[lesbica]].<ref>William J. Mann, ''Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969'' (Viking 2001): 153-154. {{ISBN|9780670030170}}</ref><ref>Gregory Woods, [https://books.google.com/books?id=R547DwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT384&ots=2PPLgOtgjb&dq=Dema%20Harshbarger%20lesbian&pg=PT384#v=onepage&q=Dema%20Harshbarger%20lesbian&f=false ''Homintern: How Gay Culture Liberated the Modern World''] (Yale University Press 2017). {{ISBN|9780300234992}}</ref> Era nota per aver indossato abiti, cappucci e cappelli su misura.<ref>William J. Mann, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lND3AwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA415&dq=Dema%20Harshbarger&pg=PA55#v=onepage&q=Dema%20Harshbarger&f=false ''How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood''] (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2009): 55. {{ISBN|9780547417745}}</ref> Ha vissuto a [[La Habra Heights]], in [[California]], dove ha coltivato [[Persea americana|avocado]].<ref>Diana Wedner, [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/25/realestate/re-guide25 "Realm of Creatures, Comforts"] ''Los Angeles Times'' (November 25, 2007).</ref> Morì nel 1964, all'età di 79 anni, a Los Angeles, in California.
