Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community “aren’t alone”, according to the latest census data.
Around 1.5 million people in England and Wales identify with an LGB+ sexual orientation in the 2021 census - 3.2% of those aged 16 and over, figures show. And 262,000 people said their gender identity differed from their sex registered at birth, the Office for National Statistics revealed.
Doctor Chris Greenough, a reader in Social Sciences at Edge Hill University, believes the number of LGBTQ+ people in the UK has always been high but claims it is only in more recent times, people have had the confidence to come out and publicly reveal it.
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He told the ECHO: “This is the first time we have captured this data and it shows we are no longer alone. But more so than that it will hopefully be used to develop the likes of the Equalities Act. This data lets us know what is happening at a local and national level and therefore should be used to impact resources and policy development. We can start to see diverse areas and where the most inclusive parts of the country actually are and where needs improvement.”
Dr Greenough said a huge reason behind more people identifying as LGBTQ+ is because of cultural and media representation.
He added: “Look at the impact Heartstopper had last year and just this week, we’ve had Waterloo Road. Both of these series were set in schools and show the importance of same-sex education, but what is still absent is the older generation - we don’t have many representations of people coming out later on in life. People watch these stories and see themselves in these stories.
"Representation also hugely helps families and those who empathise with the LGBTQ+ community. It shows them how to react to family members when they come out or how to support a friend when they need it.”
In Liverpool, just under 12% of the population have a sexual orientation which is other than straight and heterosexual. Just under 7% of the population have a gender identity that is different to their sex registered at birth.
The latest census data revealed LGBT+ populations for the first time and before it was circulated, the government argued that the information gathered would provide evidence that would help tackle inequalities and discrimination and inform decisions about the likes of education, health care and employment for LGB people.
This is the first census which has asked people about their sexual orientation and gender identity and completing this section of the census was voluntary.
The census results have been labelled as “historic” by LGBTQ+ charity, Stonewall, who believe the data gives us the picture of a “rainbow Britain”. The charity claims the census is “finally true to its ambition of providing an accurate snapshot of our society and ends two centuries of LGBTQ+ invisibility in our national record”.
Nancy Kelley, chief executive of Stonewall said: “For the past two centuries of data gathering through our national census, LGBTQ+ people have been invisible, with the stories of our communities, our diversity, and our lives missing from the national record. (This) is a historic step forward after decades of Stonewall campaigning to record sexual orientation and gender identity in the census, finally painting an accurate picture of the diverse ‘Rainbow Britain’ that we now live in, where more and more of us are proud to be who we are.”
Data from the 2021 census for England and Wales is being published in stages over two years. ONS director Jen Woolford said: “In future analysis, we will be exploring sexual orientation and gender identity by key demographic variables such as age and sex, as well as employment, health, education and ethnicity, among others.”
Scotland's census is expected to be released later this year having been delayed due to the pandemic. Whereas Northern Ireland's didn't include a question about gender identity. However, the responses to its question on sexual orientation are also due to be published this year.
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