Across the spectrum: Attitudes towards minority genders and sexualities in Ireland

Abstract

These objectives were addressed in a descriptive study using a mixed-methods cross-sectional survey design. Over 700 participants from the general public completed the online survey. Ethical approval to conduct this research was granted by the University College Dublin Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of both the quantitative and qualitative data suggest a broad acceptance of LGBT+ identities and a desire to not judge, categorise or prescribe how LGBT+ people live. However, the clear difference in support for identities, beliefs and policies that pertain to groups that are often seen as more normative, specifically Gay men and Lesbian women, compared to those that may be perceived as more transgressive of gender norms, such as Bi, Trans, Non-binary and Intersex people, is a central theme in this report. Despite the disparities in attitudes described above, there was strong support for beliefs that reflected more complex views of sexual identity and gender than traditional binary perspectives. For example, it is important to note that almost three-quarters of the participants agreed that gender is a complicated issue and does not always match biological sex. In addition, the majority of participants endorsed beliefs that gender is not binary. There was also strong support for the beliefs that gender should not determine one’s choice of partner and that sexual identity does not necessarily have distinct boundaries. Both the qualitative and quantitative data suggested a preference for seeing people as individuals rather than homogenous members of categories. For each of the policy goals that were presented, the majority indicated support. There was particularly strong support for progressing hate crime legislation, parental rights, education about LGBT+ issues and resourcing of the LGBT+ community.