Shaping a Better Future for LGBTQ+ People in Later Life

Despite significant advances in LGBTQ+ equality, older LGBTQ+ people remain underrepresented in research, public policy, workplace strategies and wider conversations about ageing.

Many people now entering later life lived through criminalisation, Section 28, the HIV and AIDS epidemic, discrimination, family rejection and periods when being open about their identity could carry considerable personal and professional risk. Many also helped create the freedoms and protections experienced by younger LGBTQ+ generations.

Those histories do not simply disappear with age. They can continue to shape our careers, finances, relationships, health, housing, support networks and expectations for the future.

The Missing Picture will help us understand these experiences properly and build a stronger body of evidence about LGBTQ+ ageing.

The research is open to LGBTQ+ people aged 18 and over.

People aged 50 and over will remain the primary focus of the programme. Younger LGBTQ+ people are also being asked to share their experiences so that the research can provide meaningful intergenerational comparison and context.

Whether you are thinking about your future, approaching later life or already living it, your experience can help complete the missing picture.