RIGHTS: Yet a third of French people have already felt uncomfortable in the presence of an LGBT person
The acceptance of lesbians, gays and bisexuals and their presence in the public space is growing among French and French, but they retain clichés towards LGBT people according to an Ifop study published Wednesday. In 2019, 85% of those surveyed consider that homosexuality is “one way of living another’s sexuality”, while they were 24% in 1975, according to this survey conducted by Ifop for the Jasmin Roy- Sophie Desmarais, in partnership with the Dilcrah (Interministerial delegation to fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBT hatred).
Only 8% still think that it is “a disease that must be cured” against 42% in 1975, seven years before the decriminalization of homosexuality, and 7% consider that it is “a sexual perversion that we must fight “(22% in 1975). The French are also more open about the manifestation of homosexuality in the public space: 33% find “rather shocking” that a lesbian or gay couple kiss in a public place, down 30 points since 1996. And the fact of holding the hand shocks 17% of them (-10 points).
The closer we are to religion, the less we accept
Regarding parenthood, 83% of French people think that “a homosexual couple is able to fulfil its role of a parent as well as a heterosexual couple”. The more the interviewee attends religious services, the less she agrees (88% for those who attend only ceremonies agree, versus 54% who attend weekly).
“There is a growing acceptance of the principle of homosexuality, but it should not be confused with its full standardization,” said François Kraus, director of Ifop’s political department. For the pollster, the legislative changes, including the marriage for all in 2013 and the greater representation of homoparental families in the media have helped to legitimize these families. The greater tolerance does not, however, negate some of the recurrent clichés about lesbians, gays and bisexuals.
One in five French people (20%) think that “certain professions where one is in permanent contact with children should be prohibited to homosexuals”, indicates the investigation. Of the respondents, 27% say they are uncomfortable in the presence of transgender people and 14% with homosexual or bisexual people of the same sex. In total, 30% of French people have at least once been uncomfortable with LGBT people.
