Survey across 153 countries links the effects of LGBT-phobia and economic insecurity

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. In a study to be published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, researchers from the CNRS1  and UNAIDS2  establish a link between LGBT-phobia and unfavourable socio-economic conditions. This outcome was achieved by analysing how prejudice manifests itself at institutional, community3  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 UNAIDS3 and the LGBT Foundation, this study characterises LGBT-phobia within institutions, communities and families. It reveals that family rejection is the most damaging form of LGBT-phobia on the well-being of those affected. The authors also show a link between LGBT-phobia rejection and unfavourable 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 highlight 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. This study is the first part of a research programme aimed at analysing 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.
 

• 1From the laboratoire Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université).
• 2Joint United Nations Programme on HIV.
• 3Refers to the circle of close acquaintances encountered on a daily basis outside the family context (friends, neighbours, work colleagues, local shopkeepers, etc.).