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Changing attitudes: A portrait of gay Britain
(independent)
Updated: 2006-02-08 09:09 The biggest survey of
homosexual lifestyles reveals the pink pound is powering ahead and social
acceptance is growing. But many still suffer abuse, as Martin Hickman reports
Gay men and women still encounter widespread discrimination and violence in
the streets and workplaces of Britain, according to the biggest ever survey of
gay lifestyles in this country.
Launched at the Rex Cinema in Soho, London, yesterday, the online survey by
Channel 4 reveals the gay community's attitudes towards the new civil
partnerships and the delicate issue of coming out. Eighteen thousand gay men and
women responded, giving a unique insight into the problems and dilemmas
experienced by homosexuals in the 21st century.
Other areas of gay life are also illuminated, such as which television
programmes the respondents preferred, which advertisements were liked, the
difference in financial outlook between the gay and straight communities, which
holidays were chosen and even which gadgets were the most popular.
Homosexuality has become more and more socially acceptable in the past 20
years and new legislation has tried to outlaw discrimination. While there is no
law against homophobia, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 allowed courts to impose
tougher sentences for offences involving sexual identity and new European rules
ban discrimination against gay employees.
Yet 40 per cent of the respondents to the survey reported that they had been
the victim of physical or verbal abuse. Of those incidents, about 60 per cent
had happened on the street - some very violent. One respondent told how he was
gang-raped in a public toilet "by some straight guys". Another said: "I was
stabbed in the stomach with a knife and kicked in the face." Yet another
reported how a big piece of wood had been hurled through his bedroom window
while he slept.
The survey found that men were more likely to be physically attacked than
women; lesbians were more likely to be verbally abused. When the discrimination
occurred was not revealed.
Whether to "come out of the closet" is still one of the biggest dilemmas
facing gay men and women but the survey suggests that this is happening earlier
than ever before. On average, 83 per cent of the respondents had publicly
acknowledged their sexuality but there were more women (88 per cent) who had
come out than men (82 per cent).
Half of those aged between 20 and 24 had come out in their late teens,
compared with just nine per cent of those aged 55 and over. Most had come out
first to friends and only later to family and colleagues.
One of the most dramatic social changes has been the Government's new civil
registration scheme, which came into force in December, and many respondents
seemed keen to take advantage of "gay marriage".
Some 700 couples registered in the first month of the scheme and a whole new
industry has grown up around the ceremony. The high-street greetings card chain
Clintons stocks special wedding cards, Virgin Holidays promotes gay honeymoons
and several companies, such as Pink Products, supply bespoke cards, cakes and
gifts.
In the survey, 57 per cent of female respondents said they would consider a
"gay marriage" - 11 per cent more than men. Only 25 per cent of men and even
fewer women ruled out the idea altogether. Most of those who were considering a
formal bond with their partner were aged between 35 and 54. Few pensioners were
interested.
The survey - by Channel 4 and the media agency OMD Insight - looked in detail
at how the gay community spends its money. A recent Gay Times survey estimated
the value of the so-calledPink Pound to be far greater than previously believed
- a total wage packet of about ￡70bn a year.
Much of this is disposable income because gay couples seldom bring up
children and, as one would expect, the survey reveals that spending levels are
higher than among straight counterparts. Almost half the respondents confessed
they spent money "without thinking" and said their credit card debts averaged
￡2,145, compared with ￡1,807 for heterosexuals. Eleven per cent had credit card
debts of more than ￡5,000.
Yet the respondents were markedly less keen on financial institutions such as
Lloyds TSB, Halifax and NatWest, a move that commentators put down to the gay
community being ignored by mainstream banking advertising.
New technology was very popular - again, as one would expect from a survey
conducted on the Gaydar website. There was a far higher use of internet
broadband, webcams, Bluetooth, MP3, 3G mobile phones and recordable DVD than
among straight counterparts. Twice as many homosexuals as heterosexuals had
plasma TV; some 39 per cent had a home cinema system. And there was a greater
use of mobile phone technology for things other than texting and talking - for
instance viewing videos and downloading. Games consoles were the only item more
favoured by heterosexuals.
One finding that came through very clearly is that the gay community likes to
travel, taking four flights a year on average, rather than the three flights
averaged by the rest of Britain.
City breaks were particularly popular. Sixty-four per cent of the gay
respondents had taken a city break in the past year compared with 50 per cent of
heterosexuals. Beach and resort holidays had been favoured by 59 per cent.
They spent more too: 10 per cent, or ￡374 compared with ￡330. A third felt
more comfortable going to gay- friendly resorts and among the travel
operators,British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were popular.
In the media, specialist gay publications such as the magazine Attitude and
the radio station Gaydar ranked high. A particular favourite among the TV
stations was Channel 4, which was felt to be more provocative and the best
station for covering gay issues (78 per cent support). Stuart Cosgrove, director
of Channel 4's nations and regions department, said the channel had specifically
wooed the gay audience with shows such as Queer as Folk, Gay Muslims and Gay
Vicars, and by screening the first lesbian kiss, on Brookside in 1994. However,
overall, BBC1 was seen as a more intelligent channel.
Advertisements that were particularly disliked included those that were
deemed naff, such as the Shake n' Vac vaccuuming housewife or the Jamster ones,
or those exclusively showing heterosexual couples, such as the advertisements
for Sandals resorts.
By contrast, heavily stylised ads or those featuring more subtle gender
differences - or simply very good-looking men - were applauded. The Levis jeans
advertisement featuring the famous landerette striptease made the top 10, along
with a glitzy one for D&G watches. The Guinness surfer advert was the most
popular, boasting both rippling torsos and stylish filming.
Sixty-nine per cent said they were concerned about their appearance. Gay men
spend far more on looking good - ￡30 a month compared with ￡16 a month - than
straight men. Sixty-five per cent of gay men used face moisturiser, 62 per cent
facewash or cleanser and half used an exfoliator or scrub.
So what kind of people were these 18,000 respondents? Based on their input,
the researchers came up with some overall findings, albeit in a snapshot format.
A favourite song is Madonna's "Like A Prayer". Gay men would most like to have a
holiday romance with Will Smith. Gay women would most like a fling with Angelina
Jolie.
Researchers also identified three types - perhaps stereotypes might be a
fairer description - within the modern British gay community, which currently
numbers around three million, or six per cent of the population according to the
latest Government figures. These are: style-setters, pods and homebirds.
Style-setters are more camp, the sort of people who like to stand out in a
crowd, are happy to spend beyond their means and adore the idea of showing off
in this season's must-have clothes. They like upmarket fashion magazines and
brands like Bang & Olufsen.
Pods are slightly less fashionable, but still like to keep in touch with
trends and are particularly fond of new technology. They shop at Selfridges and
Habitat, and fill their apartments with the latest gadgets.
Homebirds are a cosier, more down-to-earth breed whose favourite TV
programmes include the news and whose reading habits are more serious; they like
The Economist.
So how true are the findings? Dan Bryan, 32, a singer with the band Icehouse
Project, says the spending, the cosmetics and the technology all strike a
familiar note. "I think the reason for the spending is that when you get to my
age you are usually married and start a family, whereas gay people don't have
that - they also have two incomes."
Bryan says that he personally rarely encounters hostility but he does
remember a time when it was much harder to be a gay man.
"In the last 20 years it has got much better," he said. "It's almost cool in
some circles. Kids at school are a lot more accepting because their parents are:
they don't see it any more as being different."
Style-setters
Outlook: Flamboyant and fashionable
TV shows: Bad Girls, Desperate Housewives, Big Brother
Magazines: Q, GQ, Attitude
Brands: Bang & Olufsen, Clarins, CK, Starbucks
Celebrity example: Graham Norton
Pods
Outlook: Musical and technological
TV shows: Little Britain, Grand Designs, Will and Grace
Magazines: Heat, Diva, Refresh
Brands: Nivea, HMV, Sony, iTunes
Celebrity example: Fame Academy winner Alex Parks
Homebirds
Outlook: Comfortable and unfashionable
TV shows: BBC News, Newsnight
Magazines: TV Times, The Economist, Practical Photography
Brands: Tesco, Nationwide, easyJet
Celebrity example: Stephen Fry
Gay men and women still encounter widespread discrimination and violence in
the streets and workplaces of Britain, according to the biggest ever survey of
gay lifestyles in this country.
Launched at the Rex Cinema in Soho, London, yesterday, the online survey by
Channel 4 reveals the gay community's attitudes towards the new civil
partnerships and the delicate issue of coming out. Eighteen thousand gay men and
women responded, giving a unique insight into the problems and dilemmas
experienced by homosexuals in the 21st century.
Other areas of gay life are also illuminated, such as which television
programmes the respondents preferred, which advertisements were liked, the
difference in financial outlook between the gay and straight communities, which
holidays were chosen and even which gadgets were the most popular.
Homosexuality has become more and more socially acceptable in the past 20
years and new legislation has tried to outlaw discrimination. While there is no
law against homophobia, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 allowed courts to impose
tougher sentences for offences involving sexual identity and new European rules
ban discrimination against gay employees.
Yet 40 per cent of the respondents to the survey reported that they had been
the victim of physical or verbal abuse. Of those incidents, about 60 per cent
had happened on the street - some very violent. One respondent told how he was
gang-raped in a public toilet "by some straight guys". Another said: "I was
stabbed in the stomach with a knife and kicked in the face." Yet another
reported how a big piece of wood had been hurled through his bedroom window
while he slept.
The survey found that men were more likely to be physically attacked than
women; lesbians were more likely to be verbally abused. When the discrimination
occurred was not revealed.
Whether to "come out of the closet" is still one of the biggest dilemmas
facing gay men and women but the survey suggests that this is happening earlier
than ever before. On average, 83 per cent of the respondents had publicly
acknowledged their sexuality but there were more women (88 per cent) who had
come out than men (82 per cent).
Half of those aged between 20 and 24 had come out in their late teens,
compared with just nine per cent of those aged 55 and over. Most had come out
first to friends and only later to family and colleagues.
One of the most dramatic social changes has been the Government's new civil
registration scheme, which came into force in December, and many respondents
seemed keen to take advantage of "gay marriage".
Some 700 couples registered in the first month of the scheme and a whole new
industry has grown up around the ceremony. The high-street greetings card chain
Clintons stocks special wedding cards, Virgin Holidays promotes gay honeymoons
and several companies, such as Pink Products, supply bespoke cards, cakes and
gifts.
In the survey, 57 per cent of female respondents said they would consider a
"gay marriage" - 11 per cent more than men. Only 25 per cent of men and even
fewer women ruled out the idea altogether. Most of those who were considering a
formal bond with their partner were aged between 35 and 54. Few pensioners were
interested.
The survey - by Channel 4 and the media agency OMD Insight - looked in detail
at how the gay community spends its money. A recent Gay Times survey estimated
the value of the so-calledPink Pound to be far greater than previously believed
- a total wage packet of about ￡70bn a year.
Much of this is disposable income because gay couples seldom bring up
children and, as one would expect, the survey reveals that spending levels are
higher than among straight counterparts. Almost half the respondents confessed
they spent money "without thinking" and said their credit card debts averaged
￡2,145, compared with ￡1,807 for heterosexuals. Eleven per cent had credit card
debts of more than ￡5,000.
Yet the respondents were markedly less keen on financial institutions such as
Lloyds TSB, Halifax and NatWest, a move that commentators put down to the gay
community being ignored by mainstream banking advertising.
New technology was very popular - again, as one would expect from a survey
conducted on the Gaydar website. There was a far higher use of internet
broadband, webcams, Bluetooth, MP3, 3G mobile phones and recordable DVD than
among straight counterparts. Twice as many homosexuals as heterosexuals had
plasma TV; some 39 per cent had a home cinema system. And there was a greater
use of mobile phone technology for things other than texting and talking - for
instance viewing videos and downloading. Games consoles were the only item more
favoured by heterosexuals.
One finding that came through very clearly is that the gay community likes to
travel, taking four flights a year on average, rather than the three flights
averaged by the rest of Britain.
City breaks were particularly popular. Sixty-four per cent of the gay
respondents had taken a city break in the past year compared with 50 per cent of
heterosexuals. Beach and resort holidays had been favoured by 59 per cent.
They spent more too: 10 per cent, or ￡374 compared with ￡330. A third felt
more comfortable going to gay- friendly resorts and among the travel
operators,British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were popular.
In the media, specialist gay publications such as the magazine Attitude and
the radio station Gaydar ranked high. A particular favourite among the TV
stations was Channel 4, which was felt to be more provocative and the best
station for covering gay issues (78 per cent support). Stuart Cosgrove, director
of Channel 4's nations and regions department, said the channel had specifically
wooed the gay audience with shows such as Queer as Folk, Gay Muslims and Gay
Vicars, and by screening the first lesbian kiss, on Brookside in 1994. However,
overall, BBC1 was seen as a more intelligent channel.
Advertisements that were particularly disliked included those that were
deemed naff, such as the Shake n' Vac vaccuuming housewife or the Jamster ones,
or those exclusively showing heterosexual couples, such as the advertisements
for Sandals resorts.
By contrast, heavily stylised ads or those featuring more subtle gender
differences - or simply very good-looking men - were applauded. The Levis jeans
advertisement featuring the famous landerette striptease made the top 10, along
with a glitzy one for D&G watches. The Guinness surfer advert was the most
popular, boasting both rippling torsos and stylish filming.
Sixty-nine per cent said they were concerned about their appearance. Gay men
spend far more on looking good - ￡30 a month compared with ￡16 a month - than
straight men. Sixty-five per cent of gay men used face moisturiser, 62 per cent
facewash or cleanser and half used an exfoliator or scrub.
So what kind of people were these 18,000 respondents? Based on their input,
the researchers came up with some overall findings, albeit in a snapshot format.
A favourite song is Madonna's "Like A Prayer". Gay men would most like to have a
holiday romance with Will Smith. Gay women would most like a fling with Angelina
Jolie.
Researchers also identified three types - perhaps stereotypes might be a
fairer description - within the modern British gay community, which currently
numbers around three million, or six per cent of the population according to the
latest Government figures. These are: style-setters, pods and homebirds.
Style-setters are more camp, the sort of people who like to stand out in a
crowd, are happy to spend beyond their means and adore the idea of showing off
in this season's must-have clothes. They like upmarket fashion magazines and
brands like Bang & Olufsen.
Pods are slightly less fashionable, but still like to keep in touch with
trends and are particularly fond of new technology. They shop at Selfridges and
Habitat, and fill their apartments with the latest gadgets.
Homebirds are a cosier, more down-to-earth breed whose favourite TV
programmes include the news and whose reading habits are more serious; they like
The Economist.
So how true are the findings? Dan Bryan, 32, a singer with the band Icehouse
Project, says the spending, the cosmetics and the technology all strike a
familiar note. "I think the reason for the spending is that when you get to my
age you are usually married and start a family, whereas gay people don't have
that - they also have two incomes."
Bryan says that he personally rarely encounters hostility but he does
remember a time when it was much harder to be a gay man.
"In the last 20 years it has got much better," he said. "It's almost cool in
some circles. Kids at school are a lot more accepting because their parents are:
they don't see it any more as being different."
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