Social exclusion and sexual orientation
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Overview
There is limited evidence relating to sexual orientation and economic circumstances.
The general perception, often perpetuated by the media, that the majority of the ‘gay community’ is mainly white, male and middle-class, with high levels of disposable income, does not accurately reflect the diverse backgrounds of gay people in Britain.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are of course just as likely to be from low-income backgrounds as any other demographic. Gay people from more affluent demographics are simply more visible than those from other backgrounds.
It is also well documented that discrimination can lead to social exclusion. Therefore gay people are in fact likely to experience greater economic deprivation and social exclusion in some circumstances precisely because of their sexual orientation.
What we know
No-one knows how many gay people there are in Britain. Due to the legacy of criminalisation and discrimination, it is likely that many studies tend to underes...
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