In this section:

07 January 2026

Findings published from LGBTQIA+ visible differences study

Following a recently conducted study into LGBTQIA+ young people with visible differences, The Centre for Appearance Research has now shared a summary of its findings.

Researchers surveyed 75 young people and found that:

Click to enlarge

  • Those with multiple marginalised identities (i.e. those that are LGBTQIA+ and have a visible difference simultaneously) can feel overwhelmed and poorly treated by others.

  • It can feel more difficult for young people to come out as LGBTQIA+ if they also have a visible difference – this can be due to already feeling ‘different’ or feeling fearful of social consequences.

  • Appearance was highly valued in LGBTQIA+ communities – in these spaces, many young people lacked a sense of belonging and felt judged or excluded.

  • Participants were surprised to experience challenges when making connections with other LGBTQIA+ people, as they expected peers to be more accepting. This was especially prevalent with dating and romantic relationships.

    Click to enlarge

  • Most existing support resources for those with visible differences are tailored towards cisgender, heterosexual people – often ignoring the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ people.

Conversely, some participants viewed their intersecting identities as a strength, providing them with unique perspectives and opportunities, and felt that they were more accepted by LGBTQIA+ peers than they were by cisgender, heterosexual peers.

Overall findings from the study concluded that there is room for improvement in LGBTQIA+ people’s attitudes towards visible difference.

Click to enlarge

What happens next?

The findings of this study will be combined with results from a separate interview study focused on LGBTQIA+ experiences and support needs.

These will then both be used as part of a tailored support resource for LGBTQIA+ young people, which will be added to The Visible Difference Support Hub.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about this study, please contact Emma.Waite@uwe.ac.uk.