Thousands of Broxtowe residents identify as LGBT+, census reveals

The Office for National Statistics introduced voluntary questions for people aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2021 census.

Stonewall described the publication of the figures as a “historic step forward” after more than two centuries of LGBT+ lives being “missing from the national record”.

The ONS data shows a total of 2,917 people in Broxtowe identified as a sexual orientation other than heterosexual when the census was carried out in March 2021 – 3.2% of respondents.

The most common LGBT+ sexualities were bisexual (46.2% of those who did not identify as straight) and gay or lesbian (43.1%).

The vast majority of residents said they were heterosexual (90.2%).

A further 6,200 people in Broxtowe did not answer the question.

Across England and Wales, about 1.5 million people identified with an LGBT+ sexual orientation in the 2021 census – 3.2% of those aged 16 and over.

Overall, 1.5% described themselves as gay or lesbian, 1.3% described themselves as bisexual and 0.3% selected “other sexual orientation”.

ONS director Jen Woolford said the first census estimates were “crucial”.

She added: “They will ensure decision-makers have the best information so they can better understand the extent and nature of disadvantage which people may be experiencing in terms of educational outcomes, health, employment and housing.”

The census also asked people aged 16 and over about gender identity, with 420 (0.5%) Broxtowe residents stating they did not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.

Of them, 63 people were trans men and 76 were trans women.

A further 97 residents said that they were non-binary.

About 4,700 people did not answer the voluntary question.

Nationally, 262,000 people said their gender identity was different from their sex registered at birth – representing 0.5% of the population aged 16 and over.