A recent survey has discovered that around a quarter of LGBTQ+ individuals in Japan have faced being outed.
The largest study of its kind was undertaken by Yasuharu Hidaka, a professor of social epidemiology at Takarazuka University, last September to December on behalf of Lifenet Insurance Co.
New figures revealed that around quarter of LGBTQ+ people in Japan have had their their sexual orientation or gender identity disclosed to others without their consent.
25.1% of survey participants said they had been outed, with transgender men facing the most discrimination, reporting the majority of cases at 53.6%.
This insightful study interviewed 10,769 participants from teenagers to applicants in their 70s, which led to the conclusion that close to 67% of the respondents felt there had been a meaningful societal shift in attitudes towards LGBTQ+ groups.
Interestingly, the majority of respondents thought society is much more “respectful” to the community now than it was five years ago.
However, many of those participating in the study also stated that have overheard or experienced homophobic language in their workplace. 8,690 respondents of the survey had jobs and close to 80% said they “have heard discriminatory speech about sexual minorities at work or school.”
Professor Hidaka described the negative impact these outings, saying they present “fear of those who are not out about their lives crumbling, with the worst case scenario leading to their deaths.” This personal fear is made worse by the use of discriminatory and homophobic behaviours they witness, leading to concern of how LGBTQ+ individuals will be accepted by those around them.
In an effort to tackle this, Hidaka believes that bigger companies and organisations must step up.
“Society’s understanding continues to change. Government authorities and firms must make coordinated efforts to deepen understanding (about diversity of sexual orientation and gender identities),” he explained.
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