Global survey finds homophobic views are still dominant
Two-thirds of adults would be upset if child was gay, and only a quarter would accept a trans child.
According to the ‘ILGA-RIWI Global Attitudes survey’ survey, two-thirds of adults would be upset if their child told them that they were in love with someone of the same sex.
The survey was conducted by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and Canadian research company RIWI Corp, and included 96,000 people in 53 UN member states.
Results – released to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) today – showed that although regional differences in opinion exist, overall “deeply entrenched heteronormative concepts” dominate.
For example – just 28% of respondents globally said they would find it acceptable if a male child always dressed and expressed themselves as a girl.
A separate report – also released by the ILGA – looked at laws worldwide.
The report found that same-sex sexual acts can be punished with death penalty in 13 states, or parts of states (representing 6% of all UN states).
The threat of imprisonment exists in 75 countries and five entities.
In addition, many residents of these countries believe that being LGBT should be criminalised.
45% of respondents in Africa agreed “being LGBT should be considered a crime” along with 34% of respondents in Asia, 17% in Europe, 15% in the Americas and 14% in Oceania.
The ILGA also asked whether people felt that same-sex desire was a “western phenomenon”.
47% of respondents in Africa said yes, with 42% in Asia believing this was also true.
However, “western” countries also agreed with this statement – 24% in Europe, 21% in the Americas and 20% in Oceania.
Despite this, the ILGA says things are improving.
In 70 states, it is now prohibited to discriminate against an individual in employment on the basis of sexual orientation (38% of all UN states).
In 26 states, joint adoption is legal and in 40 states marriage is available to same-sex couples and those marriages have equal or almost equal legal standing as opposite-sex couples.
Last week, the UN issued a joint statement calling for countries to stop treating homosexuality as an illness.
