Majority of Brits Want Trans People to Be Better Protected And Supported, Reveals New Study

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The majority of Brits believe trans people face discrimination and want them to receive better protection and support, according to the latest Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2023 survey.

The study revealed that two in three Britons (64%) say that trans people face at least a fair amount of discrimination, compared with 19% who say they face little or no discrimination. While 77% of Britons agree that transgender people should be protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and access to businesses such as restaurants and stores, other measures have received more mixed support. For example:

· 47% agree that transgender teenagers should be allowed to receive gender-affirming care, such as counselling and hormone replacement treatment, with parental consent.
· 47% agree that government-issued documents such as passports should have options other than “male” and “female” for people who do not identify as either.
· 40% agree that transgender people should be allowed to use single-sex facilities, such as public restrooms, that correspond to their gender.
· 36% agree that health insurance systems should cover the costs of gender transition no differently than the costs of other medical procedures.

Image credit: Pexels

International Support For Pro-Trans Measures

Compared to other countries, Britain falls more toward the middle of the pack in perceiving transgender people to face discrimination in society and agreeing that transgender people should be protected from discrimination. In fact, Britons’ support for gender-affirming measures consistently falls in the bottom six of the 30 countries surveyed. Among the 30 countries covered, support for various pro-transgender measures is consistently high in Thailand, Italy, Spain, and throughout Latin America; it tends to be lowest in South Korea, throughout Eastern Europe, in Great Britain, and in the United States where transgender rights and protections have become polarizing political issues.

Both in Britain and amongst all countries surveyed, women and younger adults are more likely than men and older adults, respectively, to say the transgender community faces a lot of discrimination. They also show higher levels of support for all types of measures in favour of transgender people, with differences of about 6 to 9 points between women and men and between Gen Zers and Boomers.

Other Survey Highlights

Nearly two in three (64%) of Britons say same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. Although this is down 4 percentage points from 2021, this is still higher than levels of support seen in 2014 and 2013 (when the figure stood at 59% and 55%). One in seven (14%) say they should be allowed to obtain some legal recognition, but not to marry. By contrast, 13% say they should not be allowed to marry or get any kind of legal recognition. Another 9% are not sure. British women are significantly more likely than men to support same-sex marriage with a difference between both of 20 percentage points (74% compared to 54%).

Views on same-sex parenting are warmer than those on same-sex marriage. Nearly three- quarters (72%) of Britons say that same-sex couples should have the same rights to adopt as heterosexual couples do. This figure is unchanged from 2021. Support for the rights of same-sex parents to adopt is higher amongst women (79%) than men (66%), and amongst younger adults (those under 50; 78%) compared to older adults (those 50 and older, 65%) by a similar margin.

Britain is amongst the most positive countries on whether same-sex couples are just as likely as other parents to successfully raise children, with 74% agreeing and 18% disagreeing. Again, women are more supportive of same-sex parenting than are men by 13ppts (81% compared to 68%).

LGBTQ+ Visibility

The visibility of bisexual, transgender, and non-binary people in Britain has increased since Ipsos conducted the LGBT+ Pride 2021 survey two years ago. However, slightly fewer Britons say they know someone who is gay/lesbian/homosexual:

· 55% of British adults say they have a relative, friend, or work colleague who is a lesbian/gay/ homosexual, down 2 points since 2021.
· 32% say they know someone who is bisexual, up 4 points.
· 17% say they know someone who is transgender, up 4 points.
· 14% say they know someone who is non-binary, gender non-conforming, or gender fluid, up 2 points.

Women in Britain are more likely than men to say they know someone who is gay/lesbian/homosexual (61% compared to 48%) as well as someone who is bisexual (36% compared to 28%). Younger adults (those under 50) are roughly four times as likely as older adults (those 50 and over) to know someone who is non-binary/gender non-conforming/gender-fluid, with those under 35 twice as likely as those 50 and over to know someone who is transgender.

In Britain, 4% of adults identify as lesbian or gay/homosexual, with an equal share (4%) identifying as bisexual. A further 1% identify as pansexual/omnisexual and 1% as asexual. British Gen Zers (now age 26 or younger) are significantly more likely than other generations to identify as bisexual, pansexual/omnisexual, or asexual (14%, compared to 6% of Millennials, 2% of Gen X, and 1% of Boomers). When asked about their gender identity, 2% in Britain identify as transgender, non-binary/gender non-conforming/gender fluid, or in a different way. This is consistent with what was found in 2021.

Click here for a full copy of the Ipsos report.

WorkPride 2023

myGwork’s five-day working global virtual WorkPride conference, returns this year during Pride Month (19-23 June) with over 200 international speakers across more than 50 sessions. Themed #WorkingWithPride, WorkPride offers the opportunity to share best practices and gain the tools to help create safe and inclusive workplaces for a more harmonious environment where LGBTQ+ professionals can flourish and progress up the career ladder. What’s more it’s free for professionals, graduates, inclusive employers, allies and anyone who believes in workplace equality. Sign up here.

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