LGBT+ and lonely

“Simply being lesbian, gay, bi or trans shouldn’t make you lonely” - but figures suggest people who identify as straight are less likely to feel this way

PEOPLE from the LGBT+ community are far more likely to suffer feelings of loneliness than heterosexual people. The findings were revealed in a Government survey commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Of more than 10,000 people questioned for the survey, six per cent of those who identified as heterosexual said they often felt lonely, or were lonely all the time. But of those who identified as gay or lesbian, 14 per cent said they were always or often lonely, while 20 per cent of bisexual people and 14 per cent of people who described their sexual identity as “other” frequently felt lonely. The survey also found that while 21 per cent of heterosexual people said they “never” felt lonely, only 15 per cent of gay and lesbian people, two per cent of bisexuals and seven per cent of others said they never experienced loneliness. Jeff Ingold, head of media, at LGBT+ charity Stonewall, said: “Simply being lesbian, gay, bi or trans shouldn’t mean you’re more likely to feel lonely. “Unfortunately, these findings and our own research show that this is the case for many in the LGBT+ community. “We know that only half of lesbian, gay and bi people (46 per cent) and trans people (47 per cent) feel able to be open about who they are to everyone in their family. “The discrimination and rejection LGBT+ people can experience from friends and family can lead to disproportionate feelings of loneliness and isolation. “For any LGBT+ person who feels alone, please know there are services and groups out there to help you. “No one should have to suffer in silence and organisations including Stonewall, Switchboard, LGBT Foundation and Mindout are here to help LGBT+ people struggling with their mental health.” Overall, the Community Life Survey 2019/20: Focus on Loneliness Report, found that six per cent of adults said they were always or often lonely, while 21 per cent said they never felt lonely. People who were unemployed were more likely to feel loneliness than people in work. The survey found more people living in areas of high deprivation suffered loneliness than their more affluent neighbours. Some 14 per cent of people with disabilities were lonely always or often, compared to four per cent of people with no disabilities. It also found that younger people were more likely to feel loneliness than their elder relations. Ten per cent of people aged between 16 and 24, and eight per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds said they felt lonely always or often; while four per cent of people aged 65 to 74 and six per cent of over 75-year-olds were always or often lonely. The survey was carried out in 2019/20, which means it doesn’t take into account the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, which have meant people have needed to socially distance and even isolate from others. However, a separate survey, which gauges the social impacts of Covid-19 on Britain, returned near identical results in December 2020. Six per cent of respondents admitted to feeling lonely often or always, while 21 per cent claimed to never experience loneliness, mirroring the Focus on Loneliness Report.