Majority in population survey see too much attention for queer people
Published: Wednesday, Nov 20th 2024, 11:10
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According to 60% of participants in a representative population survey conducted by the research institute gfs.bern, queer people receive too much attention in Switzerland compared to the rest of the population. A certain ambivalence was also evident when it came to learning more about the experiences and challenges of LGBTIQ+ people.
Although 33% stated that they were very often open to learning new things. However, this was not the case for 35%. According to the survey, women are more often open to learning more about the experiences and challenges of LGBTIQ+ people than men.
The same applies to people who feel they belong to left-wing parties and to younger people. In addition, people who have personal contact with LGBTIQ+ people or have experienced discrimination themselves are more open than other people.
Pronouns are recognized
There is a greater willingness to acknowledge gender identity and the pronouns chosen. According to gfs.bern, a majority of 53% of respondents stated that they do this frequently or very frequently. This contrasts with the 23% who stated that they rarely or never recognize the gender identity of others.
The research institute found similar socio-demographic patterns as with openness to LGBTIQ+ issues in this context: younger people, women and people with contacts to LGBTIQ+ people were more likely to acknowledge gender identity or pronouns.
At 41% and 39% respectively, respondents were significantly more likely to have a very positive attitude towards gay and lesbian people than they were towards trans or non-binary people. This was stated by 15 and 18 percent respectively.
No priority for trans people
A majority of 60% and 53% respectively are in favor of legal equality for gay or lesbian people. Legal equality for trans or non-binary people, on the other hand, is a priority for fewer people, with 37% and 35% respectively.
Only a minority of respondents actively spoke out against the acceptance of the lifestyle and rights of LGBTIQ+ people. However, there was also no evidence in the evaluations of a great openness and willingness to approach these groups, learn new things or actively stand up for their rights, writes the research institute.
The evaluations can perhaps best be described as cautiously neutral, according to the study. This is also evident when it comes to concrete reactions to different lifestyles and identities.
Half of respondents in favor of amendments to the law
In the survey, 99% of respondents see themselves as men/boys or women/girls. A total of 1005 Swiss residents aged 16 and over were surveyed at the beginning of October.
Around a third were in favor of introducing a third, neutral gender entry. In contrast, around one in five people felt that the complete removal of the gender entry on all official documents would be the best solution.
According to gfs.bern, exactly half of respondents are open to adapting the current regulations and recognizing gender diversity before the law. The other half, on the other hand, thought that the current categories should continue to exist in the future.
The willingness to change the status quo is primarily related to a person's party affiliation, it was also said. The further to the right someone is, the less open they are to changing the current law. While women are also significantly more open here, there are no significant differences in the age of respondents.
Stubborn stereotypes
However, classic stereotypes or critical statements about LGBTIQ+ people are by and large broken by the majority of respondents. According to gfs.bern, this is particularly true with regard to stereotypes about sexual orientation.
However, as soon as it comes to gender identity or a variation in gender characteristics, approval of stereotypes clearly increases - and the attitude of the population as a whole becomes more critical. For example, almost half of respondents (47%) believe that trans and non-binary people are primarily following a trend and want too much attention.
28% also agree with the statement that intersex people are strange and difficult to understand. Almost one in five people believe that two gay men cannot be good parents.
According to the study, it is also striking that there are comparatively more negative mentions of the terms trans, intersex and non-binary in the spontaneous inspirations. This is mainly in connection with common stereotypes and prejudices (shrill, colorful, funny) or ideologically charged topics (woke, gender madness, fad).
Threats of violence and assaults
In addition to the population survey, the research institute also conducted an open community survey - with 1007 people aged 15 and over. There, 21% of respondents stated that they were non-binary, genderqueer, agender, polygender or genderfluid.
In the community survey, around a third of respondents stated that they avoid certain places or locations for fear of being discriminated against or attacked due to their visible membership of the LGBTIQ+ community. This reluctance is not unfounded, as the population survey also shows: A total of 36% of respondents from the general public state that people should only show their sexual orientation at home and not in public.
While this alone does not automatically indicate a willingness for assaults and discrimination, the broad presence of this attitude shows that visibly different lifestyles are not desired in many places, writes gfs.bern.
According to the survey, one in four LGBTIQ+ people have experienced physical or sexual assault based on their sexuality, gender identity or intersexuality at least once in the last five years. A clear majority of 72% of those affected did not report the incidents. 18% of respondents had also experienced threats of violence.
Statements in politics as the main reason
People from the community who believe that prejudice, intolerance and violence against queer people have increased over the past five years clearly see the reasons for this in the negative attitudes and statements of politicians and political parties.
A lack of support from civil society or public figures, on the other hand, plays a comparatively minor role. Accordingly, the view that the government is not taking enough measures to improve the situation is also broadly supported within the community: Only 25 percent stated that enough is currently being done.
©Keystone/SDA
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