Abstract
In this seminar, Dr King reflects on the usefulness of a discourse of choice, as it appears in the notion of families of choice. Using examples of studies he has conducted with older lesbian, gay and/or bisexual people, and focusing particularly on a case study of four gay men, he seeks to complicate understandings of choice for this group of people. He argues that the notion of ‘families of choice’ amongst older LGB people fails to take account of dynamics of power, inequality and intersectionality.

Biography
Dr Andrew King is a lecturer at the University of Surrey Department of Sociology. He is Co-Editor of Sociology (the flagship journal of the BSA), Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender and Chair of the European Sociological Association Sexuality Research Network. He received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2014.