At least 1 in 30 of us are gay.

For people aged 16 and over, more than 1.5% - 748,000 - identify as gay or lesbian, and 624,000 (1.3%) as bisexual.

By type, the gayest people in the UK are middle aged, working in education and living in a flat in the south of England; often with a nickname or handle beginning with 'H'.

I've thought it to be much higher and closer to 10 % but even in these enlightened times many will not want others to know.
I imagine a great many have nothing to do with the gay communities so it would be interesting to know what they think.

The percentage of people dosen't surprise me at all and I did see that Lambeth, Brighton and Cardiff have the largest openly LGBT populations, but I'm unsure of where OTB got the rest of his info from?

The percentage of people dosen't surprise me at all and I did see that Lambeth, Brighton and Cardiff have the largest openly LGBT populations, but I'm unsure of where OTB got the rest of his info from?

ONS I think.

Well, bugger me. I'm surprised.

"The percentage of people dosen't surprise me at all and I did see that Lambeth, Brighton and Cardiff have the largest openly LGBT populations, but I'm unsure of where OTB got the rest of his info from?"

Ah yeah ...

The first sentence came straight from the BBC's website.

I may have been tempted to embellish the second sentence.

I spend a lot of time in Brighton where I think it's probably closer to 50% lol. The good thing is how comfortable everyone in Brighton seems to be with it. The Pride was amazing in 2022.

I thought you may have OTB.

I'm glad the ONS is gathering this sort of data so as services ccan be targetted properly and discrimination dealt with.

I'm straight, I dont' have a problem with other peoples sexual orrientation I only really care about if if I want to sleep with them when it might be an issue. I guess there will be quite few who will be thoroughly offended by these statistics and wish people would go back into whatever closet they came from, I find that sad, just like I find it sad that so many straight men would be offended if a gay man asked them out.

If we consider the gay contingent in the arts, acting, music and other entertainment, I think it is extra-ordinary that so many 'creative' roles are populated with such a small minority of the population.

Whats saying that people didn't lie on the Census forms? Maybe what was yesterday is not today, you know some might be in an experimental stage who knows?...I'm sure I put Bi on my census forms.. what I really meant was, if my sexuallity doesn't matter then why do I need to tick a box..  

By type, the gayest people in the UK are middle aged, working in education and living in a flat in the south of England; often with a nickname or handle beginning with 'H'.

Ha ha Beach I have to say that made me laugh out loud. You're a witty chap when you put your mind to it. Thank you for brightening my evening. lol
I've often thought about turning gay, but he would have to be young and fit. I couldn't be doing with some old crinkly geezer....

For people aged 16 and over, more than 1.5% - 748,000 - identify as gay or lesbian, and 624,000 (1.3%) as bisexual.

So for about 2% of the population the remaining 98% of us are bending over backwards (no pun intended) to satisfy their every whim?...

It's probably one of the first census where people haven't been afraid of repercussions of being their true self

Last year I went for a drink with a friend who lives in Windsor and after a visit to the castle we went into a nearby pub. Unknown to us it was a popular gay pub which was soon obvious as several same sex couples were together. Times have progressed and it didn't make the same impression it would have made twenty years ago.

”By type, the gayest people in the UK are middle aged, working in education and living in a flat in the south of England; often with a nickname or handle beginning with ‘H’.”

You mean somewhere along the lines of HotorWot or Hierophant ;-) ha ha





Andy Mac

"I'm freeee"

Humphries! The 'H' thing is looking good.

Good job I changed my name from Son of Heaster Hegg. lol

I guess there will be quite few who will be thoroughly offended by these statistics and wish people would go back into whatever closet they came from, I find that sad, just like I find it sad that so many straight men would be offended if a gay man asked them out.

This is what I find so distasteful about this and many other topics, everybody has to approve or there's something wrong with you. You're a bad person and if you're a bloke who shuns gay advances then it probably means you're secretly gay. I've heard that quite a bit on here and it always makes me laugh because it seems they're using the fact you might be gay as an insult.
I'm not offended by this data, I just don't understand why people think it proves what an enlightened society we are. Giving people a few boxes to tick is not proof that we're all one big happy family.
All of this woke stuff is social media driven and it's driven by fear - the fear of standing out as different and having a different view, which is very ironic to say the least.

If this is the only social media you use you won't understand what I mean, but you see how pile-ons happen here, I've been subject to a few in my time. lol
But believe me they're nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to what happens on twitter or facebook. This place is like a kid's playground compared to twitter.
There you can get hung, drawn and quartered if you dare say something against the LGTB+ community or other things and that in my view is not good for society.
People have lost their livelihoods because of something they've said on social media and we're not talking about them threatening to kill someone. Have a look at discussions about what a woman is and you'll see what I mean.

Nobody is allowed to have a different view, everyone has to be onboard or you're labelled a racist, homophobic misogynist.
The default comeback is well it is 2023, as if that is somehow significant. So what? People are not allowed an alternative view in 2023?
Personally, I think this stifling of free speech and freedom of expression is going to come back to bite us on our pert little bottoms....

Theres certainly people waiting to pounce, no matter where you are, what social media youre on. As you say, this sirte is mild. Some of the others are truly mindblowing. Death threats, all sorts. Mostly from uneducated morons.
I believe we are all racist and other unwoke/woke PC/ un pc. . I think i mentioned it recently on here, and got slaughtered by some. Some people blocked me right there and then. I feel they were poised waiting for an excuse to block 'vile' me.

2 others that blocked me are one with a pix in her name, and one with a hen. More fool them, they are missing out on me putting my foot in it and i think one blocked me becuse I said i cant stand anal sex. So not just putting my foot in it. lol

one blocked me becuse I said i cant stand anal sex

That seems very unfair sonofEasteregg. If you have had bad experiences with anal sex especially if you found it painful then why shouldn't you be free to say so. I admire your honesty.

lol

OTB, maybe it would be useful to turn that question around and ask why so few straight men feel unable to express creativity in the same way gay men do?

Pixie you seem a bit offended by the question being on the census forms, why would people lie about it?

What makes someone gay or lesbian?

for me I could not fancy another woman yuk

What makes someone straight? I don't fancy women either, but I don't think yuk, just no thanks.