Thousands of Chesterfield residents identify as LGB+

The Office for National Statistics introduced voluntary questions for people aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2021 census.

Stonewall described the publication of the figures as a “historic step forward” after more than two centuries of LGBT+ lives being “missing from the national record”.

The ONS data shows 2,471 people in Chesterfield identified as a sexual orientation other than heterosexual when the census was carried out in March 2021 – 2.9% of respondents.

The most common LGB+ sexualities were gay or lesbian (51.5% of those who did not identify as straight) and bisexual (41%). The vast majority of residents said they were heterosexual (90.6%). A further 5,600 people in Chesterfield did not answer the question.

Across England and Wales, about 1.5 million people identified with an LGB+ sexual orientation in the 2021 census – 3.2% of those aged 16 and over. Overall, 1.5% described themselves as gay or lesbian, 1.3% described themselves as bisexual and 0.3% selected “other sexual orientation”.

ONS director Jen Woolford said the first census estimates were “crucial”, adding: “They will ensure decision-makers have the best information so they can better understand the extent and nature of disadvantage which people may be experiencing.”

The census also asked people aged 16 and over about gender identity, with 303 (0.4%) Chesterfield residents stating they did not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Of them, 53 people were trans men and 63 were trans women. A further 42 said they were non-binary. About 4,500 people did not answer the voluntary question.