LGBTQI+ people face bias across nations, points out UN report

NEW DELHI: At a time when the Supreme Court has started hearing arguments on the case relating to petitions seeking legalisation of same-sex marriage and related rights of the LGBTQI+ community, the latest Human Development Report (2021-22) brings focus on surveys from different countries to highlight the discrimination the community faces on account of sexual orientation and gender identity, reports Ambika Pandit.
It says over 75% young LGBTQI+ people reported having experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. "More than half of the transgender and non-binary young people have seriously considered suicide within the past year, 71% experienced symptoms of anxiety disorder and roughly 62% have had major depressive disorder," says the analysis under The Trevor Project 2021.
In some countries LGBTQI+ people have 4.5% stronger symptoms of depression and a 40% higher social interaction anxiety rate than their non-LGBTQI+ counterparts. It also highlights that when minority status overlaps - for example, when an LGBTQI+ person identifies as ethnic minority - the effects of discrimination may multiply, making the person more vulnerable.