Groundbreaking census figures released for the first time have shown that 84,983 people living in Greater Manchester do not identify as straight or heterosexual - representing 3.72% of the population aged 16 and over.
Now census maps have revealed the largest LGBQ+ communities in Greater Manchester and the rest of the country.
They show that more people identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or any 'other' sexual identity in the Piccadilly & Ancoats area of Manchester than any other neighbourhood in our area.
READ MORE: Owners of Canal Street restaurant once named Manchester's best make 'difficult decision' to close
A total of 1,082 people living in that neighbourhood identify as gay or lesbian, 508 are bisexual, and 103 have an 'other' sexual identity, such as pansexual - meaning their romantic and sexual attraction is not limited by sex or gender - or asexual, where a person does not feel sexual attraction.
That also means that LGBQ+ people make up a higher percentage of the population in Piccadilly & Ancoats (16.96%) than anywhere else in Greater Manchester. It is also the fourth highest in the country - only three neighbourhoods in Brighton and Hove have a higher proportion of LGBQ+ residents
In Greater Manchester, Piccadilly & Ancoats is followed by Greengate & Blackfriars in Salford (15.34%) and then City Centre North & Collyhurst in Manchester (15.11%).
At the other end of the spectrum, Winstanley in Wigan is the 'straightest' neighbourhood in Greater Manchester, where 94.60% said they identify as heterosexual.
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.
In Greater Manchester, some 6.94% of the population aged over 16 refused to answer the question.
Of more than 7,000 neighbourhoods mapped in the 2021 census, more LGBQ+ people live in Oxford’s Central area than anywhere else (2,634).
But Kemptown in Brighton and Hove has the highest concentration of LGBQ+ residents, with one in five people who live there and who answered the question not identifying as straight or heterosexual (20.11%).
Manchester-based LGBT Foundation said it 'cautiously' welcomed the data but stressed that it 'remains incomplete' and more work needed to be done over the next few years to paint a clearer picture.
A spokesperson said: “To achieve a fair and equal society, we must understand the lived experience of LGBTQ+ communities. Census data is just one part of that - it constitutes a vital step in ensuring our communities can share their experiences and identities at a national level.
“We know that figures provided in the Census represent only a small proportion of all LGBTQ+ people, and we hope that an increasing number of our communities feel confident to self-disclose in future censuses.
“Unfortunately, there are a range of reasons why people won’t feel able to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity. The historic and ongoing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ communities, particularly trans and non-binary people, will stop many from feeling safe to provide this information.
“Meanwhile, many LGBTQ+ people are living within households and environments where they are unable to be open about their gender identity, sexual orientation and trans identity. As such it will be years before we get an accurate picture, informed by figures from, and comparison with, future surveys.
“LGBTQ+ communities experience inequalities in every area of life, and regardless of the size of this population, everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.”
READ NEXT:
