The document summarizes the findings of a 2010 survey on issues facing LGBT individuals in rural areas of southwest England. Some key findings were: - 45% of respondents lived in rural areas/small towns, with many having low incomes and disabilities. - Top health concerns were mental and sexual health, with practitioners often lacking LGBT knowledge and prejudice sometimes risking health. - Rural isolation was found to be caused by adverse social attitudes, lack of advocacy/diversity awareness locally, and invisibility of LGBT individuals. - Ageing LGBT individuals worried about assumptions of heterosexuality and lack of appropriate care facilities.

1. ‘Out’ in the country?:
sexuality, ageing and rural isolation
Katie Pratt
CEO Equality South West

2. The 2010 PP&T survey
Wanted to identify the real issues for LGB and
Trans people in the South West of
England:
 Highlight issues specific to ‘sub-groups’ as well as
those common to all
 Bring the voices of contributors directly to readers
 Assist LGB and Trans ‘equality-proofed’ policy making
 Support LGB and Trans groups to influence and
challenge local policy-making
 Stimulate debate and further research ...

3. 362 contributors
 Rural areas/small towns – 45%
 Housing tenure: 52% owned; 29% private rented; 6% social
rented; 15% no tenure
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Relationship status: 34% single (17% civil p’ships)
Income: majority under £25k (largest group £15-20K)
Sexuality: Lesbian 34%; Gay 41%; Bisexual 14%
Age range: 14 – 87 years
Disabilities: 23% self-identified
Race/ethnicity: 21 BME respondents
Religion/belief: 86 identified a religion or belief
Knowledge of LGB rights: 22% - ‘Very little’; 63% did not know
where to get rights advice

4. Health and well-being
 Top health concerns: mental and sexual health
 Key health care issues
 Practitioners’ lack of LGBT
knowledge/awareness
 Practitioner prejudice can lead to unnecessary
health risks
 Health and care issues vary between sub-groups
 Ageing – Anxieties around care and support in
heterosexist environments

5. Equality and Diversity in today’s UK
Equalities in peril post-PP&T survey
 Small state: cutting/privatising public services and
access to justice
 Localism: rule by local majority
 ‘Cutting Red Tape’/deregulation (reducing protections)
 End of ‘identity politics’ : Coalition Equality Strategy
 Review of Equality Act provisions : reversing
advances
 ‘Restructuring’ the EHRC: threat to independence
 NHS reform: post-code lottery in LGB and T provision

6. Meanwhile in Ireland ...
Launch of govt sponsored ‘LGBT Diversity’
programme
“Gay people in rural areas suffer isolation and discrimination and
feel unable to fully integrate into their communities...
“Service providers - ranging from health to education - currently
lack the capacity to respond effectively to the needs of these
people, which can result in profound isolation and increased
exposure to mental health issues.” (Derek McDonnell,
Programme Manager)
(Irish Independent, July 2010)

7. Conditions underlying rural isolation
 Adverse social, political and cultural climate
attitudes, policies, priorities
 Scarcity of diversity awareness and advocacy in
local councils, schools, communities
 Invisibility of LGBT people - no effective challenge to
status quo
 Direct/indirect ‘low level’ prejudice
 Lack of information about legal protections
 Restricted mobility – for non-drivers/lower income LGB
people
 Lack of access to social/emotional support - family,
friends, LGBT groups

8. Adverse social, political and cultural
climate
Rural Councils typically
 Low spending/poorly funded - fewer/underfunded services
 New responsibilities (HWBs and public health)
 Councillors ‘male, pale, stale and straight’
 Limited equality and diversity awareness/interest
NHS
 Orgs facing abolition doing what they can...
 Front line staff? “Never had a gay person on the ward...”
 New NHS bodies – Council and GP-run
LGBT groups – few and far between

9. Sexual diversity, ageing
and a heterosexist world
“The biggest problem I
face is assumption of
heterosexuality.”

10. Influence and invisibility
 PP&T showed LGBT people more likely to vote than the
general population
 voting behaviour was strongly influenced by
candidate’s/party’s attitudes to diversity. But they are
mostly ‘invisible’ to the politicians’ eye!
 “Most surveys don’t ask me about my sexuality ... so they
have no idea and this makes me feel that they simply
don't care... the assumption is that everyone is straight
and has children.”
 ... the most isolated and hard to reach are likely to be
those most in need of help.”
 “I feel happier writing an email (complaint), a computer
feels less judgemental.”

11. uffer
t I will s
tha
sI
“Worry
similar a d
i a or
dement l get confuse
from
d wil
l
older an ntity which wil
get
y ide
e
about m oblems with th l
r
il
cause p dignity that I w
and
t.”
respect s a human righ
a
require
a
riting B
ly w
rrent Older LG
cu
“ I' m
on
rt ... t require I've
repo e tha
t
wha
pl
peo nd from very
a
care ered I'm
v
disco ned.”
te
frigh
“Old age... the
prospect of be
ing
banged up in
a care home w
ith a
bunch of straig
ht old men is
not
appealing!!”
“... it will not be too
long before I will
need
residential/similar
care - I do not
think the providers
are geared up to
this.”
“Getting
old and
'heteros
being
exualise
d‘ - th
say, my
age mak at is to
ing my
lesbianis
m sudde
nly
invisible
.”
“T
prob he bigg
e
le
ass m I fa st
hete umptio ce is
n
rose
xua of
lity.
”

12. Thank you