Gay men over 45 are more likely to be single and live alone
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Gay men over 45 are more likely to be single and unmarried than other groups, according to a new survey.
The survey of 1,762 members of the LGBT+ community who are over 45 in the US found that gay men and lesbians do not partner and marry at the same rate as straight couples. However, it also found that gay men are less likely than lesbians to have a partner.
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57% of the gay men who responded to the survey said they were single, compared to just 39% of lesbians. Just 27% of the gay men surveyed are married, compared to 43% of lesbians.
Transgender people are more likely than gay men to be married or have a partner, with 50% of trans people surveyed saying they lived with a partner. However, much more transgender people reported experiencing fear and discrimination than either gay men or lesbians.
Gay men are more likely to live alone, which is likely a direct correlation to the high number of gay men over 45 who are single. 46% of the gay men surveyed said they lived by themselves.
The survey was commissioned by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to gain understanding of the challenges facing older LGBT+ Americans.
It is hoped that the results might help the organisation respond to the challenges facing LGBT+ people as they age.
The survey asked LGBT+ people about various aspects of their lives to determine what kind of supports they had in place.
People were also asked what their biggest concerns were as they get older. 76% said they were concerned about having adequate family and social support as they age.
As well as being much more likely to be single and living alone, gay men also reported being less connected to LGBT+ and straight friends and neighbours than lesbians.
The survey also compiled findings from bisexual people. The results suggest that they are the “least open” about their sexual orientation of any of the groups surveyed, with just 48% of bisexual people surveyed saying they were out to all the important people in their lives.
