Almost half of LGBT+ young adults in the UK are estranged from at least one family member because of their sexuality or gender identity, a survey has found.
Almost a third (31%) of those polled said they were not confident of a positive response from their parents or carers when they came out.
The study for the charity Just Like Us also found that LGBT+ young adults were more than twice as likely (14% v 6%) as their straight, cisgender peers to say they were not close to their immediate family members.
The poll of 3,695 people aged 18 to 25 was carried out by the market researchers Cibyl in January 2023. It found that 46% of LGBT+ people were no longer in contact with one or more family members.
Almost one-fifth (19%) of transgender people and 23% of non-binary people in the survey said they were not close to immediate family members.
Amy Ashenden, the interim CEO of Just Like Us said: “As LGBT+ people, many of us know the anguish that the breakdown of family relationships causes us when we’re not accepted for who we are. It’s sadly a common myth that being LGBT+ is easier today, when in fact many LGBT+ young adults remain fearful of their parents not accepting them, with almost half estranged from at least one family member.”
Lesbians and gay men were the most confident that their parents or carers would accept them, at 72% and 68% respectively. More than a third of non-binary (39%) and transgender (37%) young adults said they were not confident they would be accepted when they came out.
More than 1.3 million people in England and Wales identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual in the first census data on sexual and gender identity, from March 2021. About 262,000 people (0.5% of the total) said their gender identity was different from their sex registered at birth. Another 3.6 million people (7.5%) did not answer the question. The data is thought to be an underestimate of the actual national diversity of sexual orientation.
Ashenden said: “It is heartbreaking to see that so many LGBT+ young adults [are] spending their formative years in fear that their parents won’t love them because they’re lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans. LGBT+ young people should know that their identities are valid and deserve to be celebrated, and we hope more parents and teachers will show them that this is the case.”
The survey’s findings form part of a report by Just Like Us called Positive Futures, looking at the experiences of LGBT+ young adults in the UK, from their wellbeing and home life to school experiences and work, accounting for intersections such as faith, race and disability.
“When there is silence, there is shame, so we must talk about these topics in school and at home to ensure LGBT+ young people no longer live in fear of rejection,” Ashenden said.
Sasha Misra, an associate director of communications and campaigns at Stonewall, said: “We know how important it is to build strong ties with LGBTQ+ people because they lead to wider social acceptance. It’s vital we focus on creating strong and stable relationships with LGBTQ+ youth, so they have the same opportunities to thrive as anyone else.
“This research shows that there is still a lot of work to do to ensure LGBTQ+ young people have confidence in simply being who they are, to prevent long-term impacts this might have on their mental health. It is not just the responsibility of parents, guardians and teachers, but of all of us, to commit to creating safe and inclusive environments that make any young person feel supported and validated.”
