A pair of loafers...

...look good with a suit. But these two women are far from indolent!

Jo (right) and Rachel are two of the prime movers behind a new initiative to provide improved housing and social care choices for older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in Liverpool.

Similar schemes already exist in the USA, Sweden and Germany but so far there's nothing in this country and a recent study indicates that most care homes report 'not having'/'not being aware of having' any LGBTI residents. Statistically, of course, this just can't be true - indeed anecdotal evidence suggests that the generation which did so much to progress gay rights is being forced back into the closet in older age due to homophobia and a lack of suitable training amongst care workers.

The aim is not to provide ghettoised or 'exclusive' housing for older LGBTI people but to improve training and development of home care and residential care workforces and offer a choice of residential housing that is geared towards LGBTI people and their friends and supporters from the get-go rather than having their needs tacked on as an afterthought.

The scheme, The Casey Street Project, was launched at a breakfast meeting this morning to which Jo and Rachel had invited local housing providers, council members and others with an interest in social welfare. The initial aim being to raise enough money to conduct a feasibility study before taking the project further.

As they noted, Liverpool has been at the forefront of social change in this country for centuries as attitudes have altered in all kinds of ways (first public wash house, first school for the deaf, first school for the blind, first public medical officer, first public park, first Council of Social Service, first Citizens Advice Bureau, first public health observatory and first city in England to ban smoking in public places). Perhaps it's time for another first...

Very best wishes to them!

Edit. Jo says she's "blown away" by the response there's been to this blip. If you're interested in following the progress of the project then just follow the link above. Thanks everyone!