The Missing Picture
Older Queer Voices and LGBT Great have launched The Missing Picture, a major new research programme exploring what it means to grow older as an LGBTQ+ person in the UK.
LGBTQ+ people aged 50 and over are at the heart of the research. The programme will examine how identity and ageing shape our experiences of work, financial security, health and care, housing, relationships, community and belonging.
Younger LGBTQ+ people aged 18 to 49 are also invited to participate. Hearing directly from different generations will help us understand what has changed, what has not and whether younger LGBTQ+ people have different expectations and experiences as they think about ageing and later life.
Why this research matters
Despite significant advances in LGBTQ+ equality, older LGBTQ+ people remain underrepresented in research, public policy, workplace strategies and wider conversations about ageing.
Many people now entering later life lived through criminalisation, Section 28, the HIV and AIDS epidemic, discrimination, family rejection and periods when being open about their identity could carry considerable personal and professional risk. Many also helped create the freedoms and protections experienced by younger LGBTQ+ generations.
Those histories do not simply disappear with age. They can continue to shape our careers, finances, relationships, health, housing, support networks and expectations for the future.
The Missing Picture will help us understand these experiences properly and build a stronger body of evidence about LGBTQ+ ageing.
What the research will explore
The programme will examine six interconnected areas:
Work and careers
Relationships, community and belonging
Health, care and later life
Housing and financial wellbeing
Life experiences, identity and legacy
Intergenerational understanding
The research will also explore ageism and how it intersects with LGBTQ+ identity, including workplace visibility, career progression, leadership opportunities, retirement assumptions and whether employers understand and support LGBTQ+ employees as they grow older.
We want to hear from people across different sexual orientations, gender identities, races and ethnicities, disabilities, faiths and beliefs, socio-economic backgrounds, geographical locations, health experiences, relationships and living arrangements.
Who can participate?
The research is open to LGBTQ+ people aged 18 and over.
People aged 50 and over will remain the primary focus of the programme. Younger LGBTQ+ people are also being asked to share their experiences so that the research can provide meaningful intergenerational comparison and context.
Whether you are thinking about your future, approaching later life or already living it, your experience can help complete the missing picture.
How the research will be conducted
The programme will bring together quantitative and qualitative research through an online survey, stakeholder roundtables, engagement sessions, in-depth interviews and lived-experience storytelling.
LGBT Great and Older Queer Voices are co-producing the programme, with older LGBTQ+ people contributing throughout the research process, from shaping questions and sharing their experiences to interpreting the findings and developing recommendations.
The final report will be published during LGBTQ+ History Month in February 2027. It will include practical recommendations for employers, policymakers, community organisations and service providers.
Take part
Every response will help us build the evidence needed to strengthen advocacy, influence policy and practice, and shape a better future for LGBTQ+ people as we age.