For sexual orientation, testing revealed a range of sensitivities, including privacy concerns, discomfort or a lack of comprehension of the question. Through testing, the ABS assessed that there was not sufficient confidence in the quality of the data that would be obtained. The 2021 Census did not include and questions on sexual orientation or gender identity. This was part of an initiative to make it possible for Australians to report their sex in a way not limited to ‘male’ or ‘female’ in the Census (ABS 2017).
This allowed the choice of ‘Other’, coupled with a response box to provide further detail. The 2016 online Census had an opt-in question for people to more fully identify their sex or gender. More recently, data have included sexual orientation and gender identity. The Census, enumerating all persons in Australia on Census night, has been able to capture and publish considerable information about partners in same-sex couples, and older partners.ĭata about same-sex couples (both male and female) from the Census have been available since 1996 (ABS 2013). While sex and/or gender orientation and identity may be captured in some surveys and administrative collections, it is not necessarily the case that the data can be published due to issues of reliability and confidentiality, particularly for subgroups such as those aged 65 and over. The Melbourne Institute’s Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) longitudinal survey of Australian households included a question on sexual identity in waves 12 (2012) and 16 (2016) as part of the self-completion questionnaire (Wooden 2014). Questions on sexual orientation have also been asked in the General Social Survey since 2014. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has been collecting data on sexual orientation since 2007 when a question was included in the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
There are very little data available regarding the older Australian LGBTI community. This definition does not apply to this feature article, with Indigenous Australians aged 50–64 not included in the information presented. The ‘Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’ feature article defines older people as aged 50 and over. Where this definition does not apply, the age group in focus is specified. Throughout this feature article, ‘older people’ refers to people aged 65 and over. Comparisons throughout this article are made to the most appropriate comparison group for which data are available. This feature article presents the national information currently available about older same-sex couples, recognising that this is a limited picture of the experiences of LGBTI communities. What being part of the community means to each older person may be unique.ĭata about LGBTI communities in Australia are slowly developing but are currently limited. While such experiences may be shared among some in this older age group, the older LGBTI population is diverse. Older LGBTI Australians have lived through many periods of social and cultural transition. Each community may have its own experiences and needs, and so too will the individuals in these groups.
These types of sites typically have fewer online chatters but have a more communal feel, they are usually free but not as well run as paid dating online sites.The LGBTI communities include individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or otherwise diverse in gender, sex or sexuality. And finally we have the Senior Community sites like Buzz50 which are a blend between a free chat site and a dating site. This fee boils the membership down to those who are more serious about finding a relationship. Senior Dating sites are a bit different because they almost always require a paid membership fee. You can browse user profiles and pictures to help decide who to private message or you can join the public group conversation and let everyone get to know you over time.
Senior chat sites, like this one put everyone in a virtual room and allow you to freely interact with other members that are online at the same time. All three cater to the mature age-group but they are quite different in how they do this. Senior Chat sites, Online Dating sites and Senior Community sites. When it comes to finding a romantic relationship when over 50, there are several different types of sites you can join in hopes of meeing someone who lives nearby.