More people identify as LGB+ in Hartlepool

Data from the 2021 census shows 650 people aged between 16 and 24 in the area said they identified with a sexuality other than heterosexual, alongside 665 aged between 25 and 34.

It means about 6.4% of those aged under 35 in the area said they identified with an LGB+ sexuality.

Additionally, the data shows females in Hartlepool were more likely to identify with a minority sexuality – with 1,215 saying they were not straight compared to 840 males.

The census, for the first time, also asked people about their gender identity.

In Hartlepool, 305 (0.4%) people said they did not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.

The figures show 90 people aged 16 to 24 years said they were transgender – accounting for 29.5% of the trans community in the area.

In England and Wales, the majority of LGB+ people were aged between 16 and 34 (57.9%), with about 6.2% of the age group identifying with a minority sexuality.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity Stonewall said the latest census breakdown shows that with each passing generation, more people feel safer to come out as LGBT+.

Stonewall said: "We now see that younger generations feel safer to be themselves.

"Each generation reports more lesbian, gay and bi people – but that doesn’t necessarily mean there are now simply more of us.

"It suggests that older generations were not always safe or free to speak about their experiences.”