Homophobic violence experienced by men who have sex with men in 2019. Survey: By Gender

Despite recent progress in recognizing the rights of sexual and gender minorities, violent and discriminatory attitudes toward them persist. The objective of this article is to measure the proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) who were victims of homophobic acts in the 12 months preceding the survey—whether verbal abuse or physical assault—and to describe their characteristics as well as the factors associated with having experienced these acts. The data come from the Rapport au sexe (ERAS) survey, an anonymous, self-administered, cross-sectional online survey conducted on a voluntary basis among MSM in 2019. A total of 23,777 men were included in the analysis. At the beginning of 2019, 28% of MSM surveyed reported having been victims of homophobic verbal abuse, and 5% had been physically assaulted in the 12 months preceding the survey. These incidents occurred primarily in public places, followed by workplaces and educational settings, and within the family. Regardless of the context, factors associated with experiencing homophobic insults or assaults included being young, not having a college degree, and being a student or unemployed. The results of this study highlight the persistent nature of homophobic acts in French society. Combating them requires strengthening efforts at the individual, institutional, and population levels, in order not only to protect LGBT people but also to support those who face discrimination, thereby minimizing the effects of this violence on all aspects of their lives.

Author(s): Duchesne Lucie, Lydié Nathalie, Velter Annie

Publishing year: 2021

Pages: 105-111

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2021, n° 6-7, p. 105-111

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