Survey of 100 older LGBTQ+ issues, London area

1. Issues affecting LGBTQ
as they grow older
Presented by East London LGBT Seniors
Please check in
aving name, organization if any, and contact detai

2. Issues affecting LGBT as
they grow older
•Survey of 100 people self-identifying as LGBTQ+
•Limitation is that it is not a truecross-section, it is those people
who were available to take the survey, that is, digitally literate and
with some social presence.

3. Age Range of survey
19
16
26
18
11
9
1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
50-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80 81-
Proportion of ages

4. Sexuality or Gender self-identification
76
8
5
5
3 3
Proportion of gender/sexuality self identification
gay lesbian bisexual queer trans non-binary
The high proportion of gay
respondents roughly mirrors
the proportions attending
groups at London Friends, or
Opening Doors

5. 58
37
2 2
owner occupier
rented accommodation
shared ownership
social housing
How are older LGBT housed?
No-one living in
another’s
accommodation
or in temporary
accommodation

6. civil partner, 15%
live together, 17%
married, 12%
no partner, 48%
not living together,
6%
polyamorous, 2%
Whether partnered
Counting
polyamorous as no
partner, 50% of the
survey had a
partner

7. Loneliness, with or without partner
7
17
24
3
Do you feel lonely, with partner
never rarely sometimes most of the time
4
8
30
7
Do you feel lonely, no partner
never rarely sometimes most of the time
With partner 53%
lonely sometimes
or most of the
time
Without partner
76% lonely
sometimes or
most of the time
Many of those
with a partner
are sometimes
lonely

8. Financial Security
14
35
30
21
How are you financially?
On benefits Just enough
Enough for large bill No money concerns
38
35
24
3
Do you have anyone to turn to for
financial help?
no perhaps yes do not know
21%
have no
concerns
about
money
38%
have no
one to
turn to if
they
need
help

9. Meeting other people
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
50-55 56-60 61-66 71-75 76-80
How many days per week do you go
out meeting others
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
50-55 56-60 61-66 71-75 76-80
How many visitors do you get in a
month
Over 70s go out
meeting others more
than younger, and
receive more visitors

10. Eating in, or out, by age group
4
6
5
6
5
5
How many days a week do you cook
at home?
50-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80
2
1
1
1
1
2
How many days a week do you
eat out?
50-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80
All eat out at
least one day a
week
Pattern of
cooking at home
continues with
ageing

11. When were you last sexually active?
27%
5%
9%
22%
4%
34%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
days ago couple of
weeks
weeks ago months ago last year don't
remember
never
Axis
Title
Axis Title
When were you last sexually active?
41% were sexually
active within the last
month
59% were not sexually
active within the last
month

12. Sexual activity according to age band
42%
37%
39%
50%
46%
50%
58%
63%
61%
50%
54%
50%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
50-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80
Sexual activity frequence according to age band
within month longer than a month 49% of 66 to 80 year olds
were sexually active within
the last month.
39% of 50 to 65 year olds
were sexually active within
the last month.
Sexual activity seems to be
more consistent post-
retirement than pre-
retirement, even if
frequency drops from days
to weeks

13. Sexual activity related to partner or not
60%
40%
With partner - how long since
sex
within month longer than a month
33%
67%
Without partner - how long
since sex
within month longer than a month
60% of partnered
people are sexually
active at least once
in the month
33% of unpartnered
people are sexually
active at least once
in the month.
How many partners
within a month is
not surveyed

14. Which, if any, health conditions apply to you?
The two most
reported
conditions,
depression and
anxiety are
mental, not
physical
Cancer ranks
#11 in the
health
conditions

15. 26************************** anxiety
25************************* depression
22********************** blood pressure
21********************* arthritis
16**************** diabetes
13************* insomnia
13************* HIV
12************ prostate
10********** none
5***** gout
5***** cancer
3*** heart problems
2** kidney
2** heart
1* VD, throat, sleep apnoea, psoriasis, liver problems,
gastrointestinal, emphysema, blood circulation, asthma
90% of LGBT over 50 had at least
one health issue.
Only 10% of respondents reported
no health issues
The full Health Issues table
Anyone know how this list
compares to general public over
50?

16. Health rating
1%
0%
4%
7%
13%
12%
22%
26%
13%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Rate your health on a scale of 1 to 10
Average 6.8
63% rate their
health as good

17. Quality of your life
4%
1%
6%
4%
14% 14%
25%
22%
8%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Rate the quality of your life on scale of 1 to 10
Average 6.5
57% rate their
quality of life as
good

18. contented
creative
excellent
fantastic
fantastic
great
great
great
great
happy
happy
happy
happy-go-lucky
happy-go-lucky
freedom
fulfilled
fulfilled
go
great
great
happy
healthy
joyful
lucky
pretty
rewarding
secure
wonderful
average
busy
busy
comfortably disorganised
contemplative
content
fair
hectic
hopeful
improving
improving
Just OK
learning
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
routine
satisfactory
satisfactory
satisfied
settled
variable
boring
boring
challenging
challenging
challenging
complicated
detached
disappointing
disconnected
fatigue
frozen
grieving
grim
indecision
intense
isolated
isolated
isolation
less
limited
lonely
lonely
lonely
mundane
mundane
nightmare
not worth living
pathetic
pensive
predictable
quiet
relentless
sad
solitary
static
static
stimulated
stressed
stressed
stressful
stressful
sucks
surviving
One word to describe your life at the present time
Although 57% rate their life as good, 29% used a good word, 45% used a negative word

19. One thing lacking from your life at the present
adventure
better employment
better eyesight
boyfriend
company
enough money
erotic social
engagement
excitement
financial freedom
financial stability
free time
friends
good health
help
honest friend
loss of energy
love
not sure
nothing
partner
peace
physical contact
respect
self-liking
self-respect
sex
social life
stable home
stress free time
sun
sunlight
sunshine
travel
Love, partner, sex and
friends are in large type
as the most cited things
(4 times each) lacking
from life
In short
people
are lacking

20. Lacking from life at present time – main themes
Enough money and a
little sunshine in one’s
life are also important
2% said nothing was
missing from their lives

21. Main issues that LGBTQ people face as they get older
ageism x 3
ageism from younger gays
appearance
being left behind
being poisoned by my meds
being rejected
being single
being treated as old
benefit issues
can't do DIY
communication
company
cost of rental
death of partner
deceased friends
depression
discrimination x 2
don't know
elders left out
enough exercise
events
everything geared to yout
exclusion
family support
fear of care home x 5
few activities
finding a partner
finding someone to talk to
gay scene untrustworthy
health issues x 10
HIV medication issues
housing x 2
housing
impotence
internalised homophobia
invisibility x 5
isolation x 14
keeping in touch
lack of access to LGBT community
lack of finance x 6
lack of healthcare
lack of LGBT spaces
lack of non-dscriminatory nursing
home care
lack of partner
lack of safe spaces
loss of attractiveness
lack of support x 4
loneliness x 33
losing friends as health declines
losing partner
loss of friends
developing relationships
making sense of the world
medical care
medical costs
medical issues x 2
meeting other lesbians
mobility
no care
no companion
no LGBT community living
no love
no one to turn to
no voice
noone to talk to
nowhere for us
past it
prejudice
put to one side
queer phobia
reduced community
rejected by family
rejection
rejection by younger gays
removed from sexuality
resources
safety.
security
social isolation
social opportunities
social support
the future x 2
tiredness
transportation
under representation in
government
What stands out for you in this list?

22. Headline – Issues faced by older LGBTQ
The larger the word, the more people said it
61% cited loneliness
or isolation as an
issue faced by older
LGBTQ

23. Where would you place yourself on a scale of 1, starved
of human touch, to 10, plenty of touch embrace and kiss?
17
9 9
3
18
11
6
11
5
6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Number
giving
this
rating
Rating 1 to 10
Rating how much touch 1-10
Average 4.8
35% not enough
touch

24. What support do you need from Service Providers?
accommodation for older LGBT
acknowledgement of my existence
advice
affordable housing
any help that was going
befriending
benefits advice
can't think of anything
child support
companionship
contact
council tax
don't know x 3
don't know what is offered
dressing workshops
emotional support x2
events
events for older gays
expenses
financial
find a partner
food x 3
friends
gay friendly retirement spaces
gay friendship groups
groups for olders
health advice
health monitoring
heating
help getting benefits
help when needed
housing options
housing support
increasing rents
LGBT activities
LGBT group
maintaining my home
makeup
meals
meeting others
mental health access
Mental health therapy
Mobility
need support but receive none
none x 48
not sure
opportunities for older LGBT
promote sources of help and support
rent
respect as LGBT
retirement advice
safe spaces
social centre
social contact
social meetings x2
social spaces
social support
socialising x 2
someone to talk to
something to lift mood
speedier NHS services
STD advice/testing
support with technology
therapy for older lives with hostile family
they have none to give
touch

25. What support do you need from Service Providers?
•Nearly 50% of the survey said they needed no support from service providers
despite the survey producing many issues affecting older LGBT people
•The antipathy to care homes, because of perceived homophobia, or lack of opportunity to
remain sexually active, may extend to all service providers, which could be why 50% are reluctant
to need support
What do service providers need to do to:
• Change perceptions
• Make known what they can offer older
LGBT

26. Which of these could you address?
accommodation for older LGBT
acknowledgement of my existence
advice
affordable housing
any help that was going
befriending
benefits advice
can't think of anything
child support
companionship
contact
council tax
don't know x 3
don't know what is offered
dressing workshops
emotional support x2
events
events for older gays
expenses
financial
find a partner
food x 3
friends
gay friendly retirement spaces
gay friendship groups
groups for olders
health advice
health monitoring
heating
help getting benefits
help when needed
housing options
housing support
increasing rents
LGBT activities
LGBT group
maintaining my home
makeup
meals
meeting others
mental health access
Mental health therapy
Mobility
need support but receive none
none x 48
not sure
opportunities for older LGBT
promote sources of help and support
rent
respect as LGBT
retirement advice
safe spaces
social centre
social contact
social meetings x2
social spaces
social support
socialising x 2
someone to talk to
something to lift mood
speedier NHS services
STD advice/testing
support with technology
therapy for older lives with hostile family
they have none to give
touch

27. One thing which makes you happy to be alive
active lifestyle
air fryer
arts x4
being healthy
being physically active
being positive
being valued for what I do
being with friends
being with people x 2
cat x3
child
children
company
contact with relatives
daughter
dog
exercise
extinction rebellion
eyesight
family x6
financially secure
food
friends x7
garden
God
grandchildren
grandson
health x10
hiking
holidays
honesty
hope
husband x3
learning
LGBT events
life
iving
love
making music
memories
memories of my husband
mobility
music x3
nature x2
no wars
not in hospital
nothing x8
partner x7
people
pets x2
reading x2
seeing friends
self-healing
sex
socialising
somewhere to live
support community x2
supportive partner
surprises
things are getting better
travel x4
waking up
waking up again
warmth of another man's body
women's football
working out
working with children

28. One thing which makes you happy to be alive
•Predominantly the thing which makes older LGBT happy to be alive is connection with people,
friends, family, social events, even pets. The other side of this is that loneliness is greatest issue
that older LGBT people report as they grow older.
•Even if it true that LGBT people have more frequent sexual activity after retirement than before,
sex is not top of the list when reporting happiness
•Health is second to top of the list of things which make people happy, even if it is living with
limited health
So what takeaways are there for Service Providers in combating loneliness, with its accompanying
anxiety and depression, and enhancing connection with people which provide happiness and
wellbeing?

29. This powerpoint presentation is now available on East London LGBT Senior’s website.
See https:/www.eastlondonseniors.lgbt/gettingolder.html
Contact and feedback:
bill@eastlondonseniors.lgbt
Next:
1. We have two trainers who can offer bespoke LGBTQ+ awareness training and facilitation to Service Providers.
Contact the email above.
2. We are hopeful of a grant to create up to 20 videos of older LGBT talking about the everyday issues they face,
and their hopes and fears. We will use this in offering training and facilitation, but we also hope to offer another
presentation later in the year which will be a compilation of these videos. Look out on Eventbrite, or, register
interest on the email above.
3. We hope to create academic interest in some of the issues raised in this limited survey, such as, is it true that
retired LGBT have more frequent sexual activity than before retirement, and welcome conversations leading to
more thorough study.