Six In 10 Gay People Avoid Holding Hands Because They Are Afraid Of Attack

Survey on gay relationships

Six in 10 gay people in Ireland avoid holding their partners hand in public because they are being afraid of being assaulted or threatened.

Over 2,300 Irish people took part in the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey, with 11 per cent saying they had been attacked at some point in the last five years.

More than one third of respondents also said they had been harassed for being LGBTI in the year before they took part in the survey.

How can we protect the rights of #LGBTI people?

Our #LGBTIsurvey report suggests:
- Zero tolerance for LGBTI violence & harassment
- Safe & supportive schooling for LGBTI pupils
- Comprehensive national actions plans to promote LGBTI rights

For more:https://t.co/FaVqWrXzeZ pic.twitter.com/sdlSR0gIaQ

— EU Fundamental Rights ➡️ #HumanRights (@EURightsAgency) May 14, 2020

The survey's key findings were:

• Half (53 %) of LGBTI respondents are almost never or rarely open about being LGBTI.
•  Most respondents (61 %) always or often avoid holding hands with their same-sex partners.
•  One in three respondents (33 %) always or often avoid certain places or locations for fear of being assaulted, threatened or harassed because they are LGBTI.
• 37 % of respondents aged 15 to 17 are almost never open about being LGBTI.

According to Paula Fagan, CEO LGBT Ireland:

“Much progress has been made in achieving greater visibility, rights and inclusion of LGBTI+ people in Ireland,"

"Overcoming stigma and discrimination remains the greatest challenge for those who contacted us.”