'People forget we exist': Why older LGBTQ+ people fear losing identity — SkimNews
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- Centre for Ageing Better's "Spotlight on Ageing" report finds older LGBTQ+ people in England experience poorer health, more limited finances, and greater social isolation than the wider older population, warning they could be forced "back into the closet" when accessing care
- The UK's over-50s LGB population grew by roughly a third between 2019 and 2024 — from approximately 340,000 to nearly 460,000 — while the heterosexual over-50 population rose just 4%
- Kindred House, a first-of-its-kind LGBTQ+ social housing scheme for over-55s, is set to open in Manchester next year with 80 self-contained apartments and 24/7 care staff trained in LGBTQ+ inclusion
- Tonic, the UK's first LGBTQ+ retirement home, opened in London in 2021 with 19 apartments and is set to feature in a Netflix documentary about one of its first residents, Chek Min-Ong
- More than half of gay and bisexual men aged 65 and above live alone, compared with less than a quarter of heterosexual men, and only half of gay/bi men aged 50+ say they'd definitely have someone to help if needed — 14 percentage points lower than heterosexual peers
- Adam Porter of the LGBT Foundation reports older LGBTQ+ people commonly hide wedding photos or take down trans flags when carers visit, with some carers having offered to "pray for them" regarding their sexuality
Why it matters: With nearly 460,000 UK over-50s now identifying as LGB and that demographic set to keep growing as younger LGBTQ+ generations age, the supply of specialist housing — Tonic's 19 London apartments and Kindred House's 80 Manchester units — faces demand that will far outstrip availability, leaving most older LGBTQ+ people to navigate mainstream care settings where the choice between hiding identity or receiving proper support remains unresolved.
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