The ‘protected characteristic’ of sexual orientation as stated in the Equalities Act 2010 refers to those individuals who are attracted to those of the opposite sex, the same sex or either sex. There is evidence demonstrating that individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and/or any other sexual orientation (LGB+) experience discrimination and marginalisation in their daily lives compared to their heterosexual counterparts.
The Census conducted in March 2021 included for the first time a question asking respondents to indicate their sexual orientation. The collection of this information will provide a much clearly picture of the profile of this community going forward and the issues that they face. We anticipate that this will go some way in allowing us to understand the data at a local level.
88.95 per cent (of people aged 16 years and over) in Plymouth identify their sexual orientation as straight or heterosexual compared to 89.4 per cent in England and Wales. 4.45 per cent of people aged 16 years and over in Plymouth describe their sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or use another tem to describe their sexuality. This compares to 3.3 per cent in England and Wales. Of these:
- 2.06 per cent (4,509) are bisexual (England and Wales 1.3 per cent)
- 1.97 per cent (4,297) people are gay or lesbian. (England and Wales 1.5 per cent)
- 0.42 per cent (924) have another sexual orientation (England and Wales 0.3 per cent)
The census found that nationally, people aged 16 to 24 years (6.91 per cent) were the age group most likely to have identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or used a different term to describe their sexual orientation.
Health
The 2022 Plymouth City Survey asked respondents wellbeing questions across four different areas. Plymouth residents’ mean scores for the four indicators were:
- 6.6 points out of 10 for life satisfaction
- 7.0 points out of 10 for feeling that what one does in life is worthwhile
- 6.9 points out of 10 for happiness yesterday
- 3.8 points out of 10 for anxiety yesterday
The City Survey 2022 found that residents who identified as LGB had a lower average score (6.6) compared with those that identified as heterosexual or straight (7.1).
Participation in Public Life
The OutYouth Group continues to support young people from the LGBT+ community; particularly those struggling with homophobic bullying at school, coming out to family and/or those seeking a safe space to identify without judgement or discrimination.
Crime
In the 12 months to October 2022, there were 698 hate crimes recorded in Plymouth, an increase on the 581 hate crimes recorded in the 12 months to October 2021. Of these, 122 were attributed to sexual orientation compared to 109 in the previous year. More recent data is not yet available but this profile will be updated when this is published.