Because of limitations in collecting sexuality data, there are very few studies that quantitatively explore the life courses of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals. Likewise it is rare that normative patterns of life course trajectories are assessed in terms of their applicability to LGB individuals. We review the current literature on LGB life course trajectories and discuss potential reasons for gaps in the literature. We explore approaches for defining LGB status. We use data from a cohort of people aged 50 and over (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing) to explore the tempo and occurrences of transitions to adulthood and to older age, and establish some of the differences based on sexual orientation. We examine the connecting health behaviours and life course turning points that may explain some of the differences described above. We show that while the first quartile of transitions to adulthood are experienced fairly uniformly by sexual orientation, differences open up thereafter. LGB people's life course trajectories are marked by different patterns of care, with LGB people less likely to provide care in the form of parenthood, but potentially more likely to provide care earlier to close friends or relatives. Analyses of connecting events suggest that LGB life course trajectories may be marred by higher levels of volatility, including higher risk financial hardship. Caveats to these results are outlined in full in the paper.

中文翻译：

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检查英格兰女同性恋、男同性恋和双性恋者的生命历程轨迹——探索异质老年人群之间的趋同和分歧。

由于收集性数据的局限性，很少有研究定量探索女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋 (LGB) 个体的生命历程。同样，很少根据对 LGB 个体的适用性来评估生命历程轨迹的规范模式。我们回顾了当前关于 LGB 生命历程轨迹的文献，并讨论了文献中存在空白的潜在原因。我们探索定义 LGB 状态的方法。我们使用来自 50 岁及以上人群的数据（英国老龄化纵向研究）来探索向成年和老年过渡的节奏和发生率，并确定一些基于性取向的差异。我们研究了可能解释上述一些差异的相关健康行为和生命历程转折点。我们表明，虽然性取向的第一个四分位数过渡到成年的经历相当一致，但此后出现了差异。LGB 人的生命历程轨迹以不同的照顾模式为标志，LGB 人不太可能以父母身份提供照顾，但更有可能更早地为亲密的朋友或亲戚提供照顾。对相关事件的分析表明，LGB 的生命历程轨迹可能会受到更高水平的波动性的破坏，包括更高风险的财务困难。本文全面概述了对这些结果的警告。LGB 人群不太可能以父母身份提供照顾，但可能更有可能更早地为亲密的朋友或亲戚提供照顾。对相关事件的分析表明，LGB 的生命历程轨迹可能会受到更高水平的波动性的破坏，包括更高风险的财务困难。本文全面概述了对这些结果的警告。LGB 人群不太可能以父母身份提供照顾，但可能更有可能更早地为亲密的朋友或亲戚提供照顾。对相关事件的分析表明，LGB 的生命历程轨迹可能会受到更高水平的波动性的破坏，包括更高风险的财务困难。本文全面概述了对这些结果的警告。