ABSTRACT
With increasing recognition (and regulation) of the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals (Harding, 2011) it would be understandable if people thought LGB inequality was a thing of the past, and that ‘the world we have won’ (Weeks, 2007) is one where LGB individuals and heterosexual individuals are now equal, in the eyes of the law at least. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case. There are enduring inequalities in UK law and social policy, which are particularly salient for older LGB individuals. This chapter explores how, and why this is, and considers the equality implications in relation to ageing and sexuality. I examine the regulatory contexts through, and against which, older LGB individuals experience and construct their lives. To do so, I analyse UK law and social policy affecting older people, from sexuality perspectives, and UK law and social policy relating to LGB individuals, from ageing perspectives. My analysis will demonstrate that in these regulatory contexts older LGB individuals are unevenly located, compared with older heterosexual individuals, in three main ways.
