80% Indians Want Discrimination Against Transgender to End: Survey
“Government support and social acceptance will mitigate discrimination and help transgender people lead a more dignified life,” says Parijat Chakraborty, Executive Director, Ipsos.
The survey which was conducted between 24 October and 7 November 2017 and covered 27 countries, interviewed 19,747 adults aged 18 to 64 in the US and Canada, and age 16 to 64 in all other countries.
All 27 countries were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States of America.
Spain with 64 per cent became the second largest nation to see transgender people as a natural occurrence while in Russia, only 18 per cent believed it to be natural occurrence. Majority across the countries surveyed, approximately 52 per cent of people believed that Transgender people as a natural occurrence.
With 69 per cent Indians saying that they are becoming more tolerant of transgender people and 80 per cent saying that they want the discrimination against transgender people to end, India was placed sixth in voicing its concern for transgender people.
While Argentina with 78 per cent, Canada with 78 per cent and Great Britain with 75 percent topped the list of nations becoming more tolerant of transgender people, Hungary with 31 per cent, Poland with 41 per cent and Japan with 43 percent became the most intolerant countries. Overall, 6 in 10 people interviewed around the world accounting to 59 per cent say they are becoming more tolerant of transgender people.
Apart from that, 1 in 2 Indians believe that transgender people have unique spiritual powers, highest globally. “It's considered a good omen in India to be blessed by transgender people. And it has almost become a norm in celebrations to allow transgender people to do their jig and to compensate them,” said Chakraborty.
Also, only one in three in US and one in four in the UK feel that transgender people have a special place in society. Globally, only 31 per cent believe that transgender people have a special place in society.
