6 In 10 LGBT+ Europeans Fear Holding Their Partner’s Hand In Public

A new survey by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency has revealed that six out of ten LGBT+ Europeans fear holding their partner’s hand in public, out of fear of being harassed or abused.

The study surveyed almost 140,000 people from across 27 European Union member countries. Data showed that 43 percent of LGBT+ people in Europe had faced discrimination in the past year, marking a 6 percent increase from a similar study conducted in 2012. 6 out of 10 trans people experienced discrimination in the past year, marking a 43 percent increase from the study of 2012.

Two in five LGBT+ who were surveyed revealed that they had been physically harassed in the past year, and one in five trans or intersex people have been physically or sexually attacked.

One in three LGBT+ people have had financial problems in the last year, and many also claim they have faced discrimination in finding housing and accessing healthcare.

Over half of respondents in France, and 68 percent of respondents in Poland, stated that LGBTQ intolerance has increased in their countries since 2012, while over 70 percent of respondents in Ireland and Malta said it had declined.

“The results show little progress over the past seven years,” FRA director Michael O'Flaherty wrote in the foreword of the study. “Imagine being afraid to hold your loved one's hand in public, skipping office banter to avoid divulging with whom you share your life, choosing the long way home to side-step potentially hostile ground, or enduring ridicule every time you show your personal identification.”

As the ‘Advocate’ reports, in light of the study, 96 members of the United Nations signed a joint statement ensuring that COVID-19 relief efforts are broad enough to include the specific barriers LGBTQ people already faced before the pandemic began.

“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-and gender-diverse people, who are disproportionately represented in the ranks of the poor, the homeless, and those without healthcare, will be deeply impacted by the pandemic and, unless we take urgent action, this impact will be felt over generations,” said Víctor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN's Independent Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read related myGwork articles here:

Rainbow Map 2020: Make-Or-Break Moment For LGBT+ Rights In Europe

LGBTQ+ History: The Story of Europe

ILGA-Europe Warns LGBT+ Rights Are Moving Backwards

Poland Could Start Sending Teachers To Prison For Turning Kids Gay

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