Is there a disproportionately higher number of gay MPs? If so, why?

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Sorry, badly worded title, and please, this is a general question I've always wondered - not any kind of veiled homophobia.

It just seems to me that there are more gay MPs as a % of the total compared to the average % in the population?

I just wondered why, really? I find myself thinking that the role is so unconducive to life with family/children maybe that it's only people with fewer commitments who can cope with it?

Or is it a public school bias?

Or is it not greater than average, but just seems like it because of the media obsession with these things?

What are the %ages?

I think it's media obsesion. It's easier to come out than be outed, which will inevitably happen eventually if you are an MP, because it makes good headlines.

You could say the same thing about pop stars and hairdressers. I bet no more are gay than accountants...but accountants just plod on with their lives, and it's never an issue.

Really? I thought about 10% of the general population is homosexual. Are there more gay mps than this?

do gay people not have families and commitments too then?

I doubt it's any higher than average - how many gay MPs are you aware of anyway? It's just that when one comes out, or there are "suspicions" it gets into the newspapers. In most jobs, people can be gay or straight and nobody pays any particular attention.

tooearly - yes, of course they have families and commitments, but I think it's probably fair to say that they are probably less likely to have the sort of "partner + 2 .4 kids" that a heterosexual MP has?

I personally know one gay female MP, and she openly admits that she has been able to devote time to her political career because she doesn't have children. Of course, I appreciate this can equally apply to single people too...

AMIS - you're probably right - in a high profile role it's probably more likely to be commented on, or they are more likely to be openly out.

I think a few years ago there was a figure of 6% of the population being gay that was being bandied about? And didn't Labour propose a 'target' of about 40 gay MPs (which was about 6% of MPs)?

Although I can think of lots of gay MPs, I certianly can't think of 40!

I'm rather disappointed at the insinuation that an adult with children cannot commit to being an MP, that's all.

Is this what you mean?

tooearly - I think that IS what I mean. I know that there ARE lots of MPs with partners & children, but everything I've ever read suggests that many of them find the current systems in parliament work against them in every way - the late night debates and votes, the weekend constituency work, the lack of facilities for e.g. babies in the commons. I read a lot of political biographies, and in many of the male ones it is clear that they are either happy, or are forced, to accept that their families need to survive without seeing them much, or in the case of female MPs, that they have to delegate the task of raising children to nannies/ partners/ grandparents or borading schools.

Don't know the stats so not sure if your premise is right but...

Is it possible that people who've grown up being slightly outside normal expectations might feel injustice more strongly than others (as a % of population) and therefore be moved to go into politics?

Lemon - yes - I see what you mean - be more moved to change things?

THere always seemed to be a disproportionally high number of gay men in the FCO as well, I always wondered the same - was it because the life style was less conducive to having a family? (and I can confirm the lifestyle isn't massively conducive to havin a family although of course many do).

They also tend to be better off, educated people moving in liberal/intellectual/chattering class circles.with loads of self confidence. Just the sort to find coming-out easier.

It's because of the gay mafia that runs so much of this country.

I'd really like some statistics on this, because I've always thought that gay politicians were underrepresented. But I don't have stats, that's just my impression. What evidence do you have?

Trying to find up to date list of out gay MPs, and seems to be impossible, though articles cite 10 out Tory MPs and 6 Labour so I must have missed a couple.
Labour:
Chris Bryant
Chris Smith
(Matthew Parris, ex MP)
Angela Eagle
Ben Bradshaw

Tory:
Greg Barker
Alan Duncan
Nick Herbert
Nigel Evans
Crispin Blunt
(Michael Brown, ex MP)
Nick Boles
Iain Stewart
Margot James
Stuart Andrew

Lib Dem:
Steve Gilbert
Mike Hancock
David Laws
(Mark Oaten, ex MP)

Don't think any other parties have any. And there's of course the non-MP Peter Mandelson...
20-odd out of 650 = 1 in 32.5 or 3%, so not exactly high!

Matthew Parris was a very good Tory MP

www.queeried.co.uk/gay-mps-2010/ plus David Laws

That's 16 out of 650 MPs.

2 lesbian women out of 144 women MPs.

OP - your point is disproved.

Thanks for the research notcitrus and Katharine

But those are just the "out" MP's, who have made a point of letting their sexuality be known. I suspect that is a higher % than in the general population.

I'd guess there is some form of overcompensating going on with many MPs, with them having felt outsiders and excluded in youth, and then pushing to make a name for themselves.

It's one aspect of the "anyone who seeks power should automatically be exclued from it" syndrome.

It is not true that 10% of the population is homosexual - it's only about 2%, of which 1.5% are men and 0.5% women.
There are far more gay MPS than your realize, and from time to time the "out" ones hint at this.
2% of 650 would be 11, but I bet we have got far more than that. For example David Laws kept it very quiet so that he could claim more in expenses.

I remember reading a piece by Matthew Parris in which he said that if the truth were known about the number of gay MPs it would exceed the wildest dreams of Peter Tatchell's gay lobby group (Outrage ??).

As Parris was an MP himself for many years and is gay himself I would think he's a fairly reliable source.

Why that should be I don't know.

I think that as long as it is more difficult for people with family responsibilities (including caring for elderly or disabled relatives) to do their jobs, then, inevitably, it will be the men and women who delegate their family responsibilities or don't have any, who will have more time and energy to devote to their jobs and will rise to the top.

Which doesn't necessarily mean there are more gay people at the top - just more people with fewer family responsibilities.

I'm rather disappointed at the insinuation that an adult with children cannot commit to being an MP

I think it's self-evidently true for most people. There is no such thing as work-life balance. it's an exceptional person who can adequately juggle both.

We need more openly gay people as MPs, not fewer.

Agree, lljkk, and in all walks of life. And transgender. It's interesting (to me, at least) that I am increasingly coming across young people who are not clearly either male or female, and you have to find out who they identify with. Luckily the two people I have met recently understand that it is difficult for other people to know which pronoun to use, and tolerate mistakes - but it can't be very pleasant for them. I wonder if we shouldn't have an alternative to he or she, her, him, etc - like we did with Mrs and Miss (Ms).

A bit off the subject - sorry.