Social Networks in Later Life: Similarities and Differences between Sexual-Minority and Heterosexual Older Adults

Community-based research suggests that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) older adults are more socially isolated than their heterosexual counterparts. However, little is known about how social networks in late adulthood differ between LGB and heterosexual people at the population level. Using data from the 2015-16 National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (N=3,929), we compare the size, frequency of contact, composition, diversity, and density of core discussion networks as well as family and friend support across sexual orientation groups. We find that LGB people share a few network characteristics with their heterosexual counterparts, including network size, frequency of contact with network members, and proportion of non-spousal kin members in the network. However, their networks are less likely to include an intimate partner, are more likely to include friends, and have lower diversity and density. LGB people also report lower family support but higher friend support than heterosexual people.