Nearly 4,000 people in Rochdale identify as LGBTQ+
Among those who identify as LGBTQ+, 2,040 people (1.17% of the population aged 16 and over) said they were gay or lesbian, the most common sexuality after heterosexual
Pic: David Cheskin/PA Wire
Nearly 4,000 people in Rochdale say they have an LGBTQ+ sexual identity - as census data reveals the diverse “Rainbow Britain” of today.
Some 3,968 people living in the borough said they did not identify as “straight or heterosexual”.
That represents around 2.3% of the population aged 16 and over.
Among those who identify as LGBTQ+, 2,040 people (1.17% of the population aged 16 and over) said they were gay or lesbian, the most common sexuality after heterosexual.
Another 1,515 people said they were bisexual (0.87%).
There were also 297 people, who identified as pansexual (meaning their romantic and sexual attraction is not limited by sex or gender), 67 who said they were asexual (a person who does not feel sexual attraction), and 21, who said they were queer, meaning they reject specific labels of romantic or sexual orientation.
Some 21 listed another sexual orientation, while 11,711 did not answer the question.
There were 159,265 who identified as straight or heterosexual which makes up 91.04% of those who answered.
The figures come from the 2021 census for England and Wales.
It is the first time figures on sexual orientation have been included in census records, with people aged 16 and over asked to provide this information on a voluntary basis.
Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive of Stonewall said “For the past two centuries of data gathering through our national census, LGBTQ+ people have been invisible, with the stories of our communities, our diversity, and our lives missing from the national record.
“Today is a historic step forward after decades of Stonewall campaigning to record sexual orientation and gender identity in the census, finally painting an accurate picture of the diverse ‘Rainbow Britain’ that we now live in, where more and more of us are proud to be who we are.
“This data will help Stonewall and others make the case to better target resources and support to help LGBTQ+ people thrive, whether in health, education or work. But just as important, it means our country knows itself a little better today.”
In our area, Manchester has the highest proportion of people who identify as LGBTQ+ (6.67%), while Wigan has the highest proportion of people who said they were straight or heterosexual (91.97%).
In total across England and Wales, 1.5 million people identified with an LGB+ sexual orientation in the 2021 census – 3.2% of those aged 16 and over.
Overall, 44.9 million people (92.5% of the population aged 16 and over) filled in the question on sexual orientation.
Nine in 10 (89.4%) identified as straight or heterosexual.
Some 748,000 (1.5%) described themselves as gay or lesbian, 624,000 (1.3%) as bisexual, and 165,000 (0.3%) selected “Other sexual orientation”.
Of those who selected the latter category, the most common responses included: pansexual (112,000, 0.23%), asexual (28,000, 0.06%), and queer (15,000, 0.03%).
Brighton and Hove, in Sussex had the highest proportion of people with an LGBTQ+ sexual orientation (10.73% of the population aged 16 and over); while Rochford in Essex had the highest proportion of people identifying as heterosexual or straight (92.90%).
ONS director Jen Woolford said the first census estimates were “crucial”, adding: “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.
“This is just the first snapshot. In future analysis, we will be exploring sexual orientation and gender identity by key demographic variables, such as age and sex, as well as employment, health, education, and ethnicity, among others.”
