New housing development for LGBTQ people 55+

@SirChenjins I’ve got no idea, but on the consultation, it asks this:

”Do you consider yourself to be a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans+ (LGBT+) community? “

So a fairly general question.

Which is great - but as I said upthread, will a GC lesbian be allowed to apply?

It’s a protected belief, so not allowing her to apply would be discrimination.

It will be interesting to see what criteria is applied though, and how it will be checked / assessed. The over 55 bit is easy - but the rest, not so much.

Which is great - but as I said upthread, will a GC lesbian be allowed to apply?

Actual website, including link to survey for local residents.

https://www.greatplaces.org.uk/?news=great-places-launches-consultation-for-first-of-a-kind-purpose-built-majority-lgbtq-extra-care-housing-scheme-proposals

Just gone into the Great Places website. It says this about the residents.

”The residents will be required to be aged 55 years or over, with the majority of residents being members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester. Living alongside allies and other members of the local community, the aim is to provide an open and inclusive, physical and psychological place of safety for the older LGBTQ+ community and a welcome addition to the Whalley Range area.”.

I’d be wary of living anywhere that bundles LGB together with TQ+.

I mean the Manchester project

@Fireyflies

I think that is great, looks like they are setting up a housing cooperative (I briefly worked for a coop development agency) though partners seem to have pulled out. Not clear why. Using the word, lesbian and women are now problematic and their mission statement the door wide open to them other women and lesbians.

I hope they stay under the radar and achieve their goals.

But LGBTQI++++ is such a broad and nefarious grouping it is hard to know how this could be delivered.

I agree - and hope that women’s cohousing groups are able to refuse biological males if they do choose.

Like this one https://lolcohousing.co.uk/
I don't see any reason people shouldn't live in different kinds of groupings however they like.

If older gay women want to live in a female only environment there are some cohousing groups that might suit them.

Exactly this - and some Ts don’t take kindly at all to being told their male advances on lesbian women aren’t welcome.

People seem to assume that LGBTQ means gay people.

It does not

This may be a first, but there's been a few older housing communities built for different ethic groups in the last few years. They're usually pitched at one specific market, but anyone can live there if they want. The reason for them being targeted at different groups is mainly just because they're intended as social communities and some people like mixing in a group with others like themselves - rather than LGBT having any specific physical needs from their housing. Extra care housing isn't usually subsidised so they'd be little reason to want to live there unless you are LGBT and want to live with others who are too. Maybe some of them are hoping for a late life new partner?

@Yetmorebeanstocount It is a housing association are regulated by, RSH. As far as i am aware there are strict rules around application and criteria’s for any social housing provision and any support services attached to it.

Thats what i cannot get my head around. As what would their criterion look like for start off….

I expect it would be self-selection - if you want to buy one you can, knowing that all / most of your new neighbours will in 'in the club' so to speak.

Could get tricky when it comes to inheritance - would a straight adult who inherits a gay parents' house be allowed to move in? How could anyone stop them?

I suppose it comes down to ‘proportionate means to a legitimate aim’?

And if there is a disproportionate amount of homelessness amongst senior LGB & T people?

I accept the slippery slope aspect but if the justification is provable & planning is robust then that would minimise that risk? The inclusion of most of alphabet makes it a bit cloudy though)

(Knowing MCR council there is a corporate partner who is contributing a chunk of funding for their own EDI index tho, so it definitely needs some scrutiny.

May sound a silly question, but who screens the potential residents? Do you have to have a re-test after five or ten years to check you still qualify?

I am really inclined to think that it is illegal to deny housing on the basis of sexual orientation. Obviously it's a private community building something they can do what they like but that doesn't seem like the case here.

I think this is an area where people get confused, but it has serious consequences. In a number of her recent speeches, Kemi has emphasized that equality legislation is not structured to protect people who are Oppressed, as such. It protects any discrimination on the basis of certain characteristics. You can no more discriminate against someone because they are straight than because they are not.

Yes, there are certain cases where specialized needs can justify reserved spaces, but I can't see this being one of them - if you can justify lgbtq+ only housing you could justify straight only housing.

This isn't a principle we should be eager to let go.

I don’t resent extra housing but please. I would love to see applicant criteria, will it say anybody who is not heterosexual? That would be a breach of the EA unless there was a demonstrable reason to justify this.

LGBTQ+ is a pretty broad, erm, demographic, what would the selection criteria look like. Would it be self ID of the ever increasing list of LGBTQIA+++

I don’t suppose minor interested people would fancy it, and other similar identifiers.

What if you are only occasionally trans would you have to stay away for a while

It sounds like a legal mine field and stupid to me.

Be interesting to see how this one pans out

I think it is a great idea. Women would never be allowed to do it, without men trying to access it of course. But yes LGBTQIA+++ whatever, crack on and go for it.

I like the idea of community housing- I’d like female only housing, and all the various groupings anyone could wish for!

I have no issue with this, as long as the residents were welcoming and accepting.

We’re so damn short of housing, every little helps!

Is this thread just bigotry for the sake of it? There's extensive evidence of discrimination and difficulty in elder lgbt housing, including gross homophobia and prejudice.

Would be very nice to have a community and all the acceptance of being among other gay people, this sounds lovely. Being somewhere where you are the 'norm', where all the facilities fully understood and were so focused plus the social life - lovely. However yes, my big concern would be would I be expected to swear that I would be willing to validate a man with my body if he speaks the words of power, and subjected to male lesbian harassment. TQ tolerance of homosexuality cannot be taken for granted these days.