LGBTQ+ people face unequal treatment across different human societies. Several concomitant factors can contribute to this discrimination at various levels of society, resulting in diminished living conditions.
Now, a study – “Homophobia, economic precarity and the well-being of sexual and gender diverse people in a 153-country survey” by Erik Lamontagne, Vincent Leroy, Sean Howell, Sylvie Boyer, and Bruno Ventelou – that appeared in Nature Human Behavior established a link between LGBT-phobia and unfavorable socio-economic conditions, with the outcome achieved by analyzing how prejudice manifests itself at institutional, community and family levels.
Based on the results of the Global LGBTQ+ Happiness Survey – an international survey conducted in 153 countries, gathering data from 82,354 participants – conducted in partnership with UNAIDS and the LGBT Foundation, this study characterized LGBT-phobia within institutions, communities and families. It revealed that family rejection is the most damaging form of LGBT-phobia on the well-being of those affected.
The researchers also showed a link between LGBT-phobia rejection and unfavorable socio-economic status: the more economically precarious a person is, the greater the rejection they experience, and vice versa. This correlation is accentuated in countries with the greatest economic inequalities.
The results highlighted the need to consider these distinct vulnerabilities when developing public policies aimed at combating discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
“In a global context where inclusion policies are regularly questioned, LGBT-phobia poses a significant risk to the well-being and mental health of the communities concerned,” the researchers stated.
This study is the first part of a research program aimed at analyzing how the deterioration of well-being can impact a person’s ability to cope with social risks, such as an increase in unsafe sexual practices and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
