Press Release

93,000 people take part in FRA’s LGBT survey, making it the largest of its kind worldwide

Some 93,000 respondents participated in a FRA survey of the discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on a daily basis, making it the biggest such study worldwide. The final survey results will be presented on the next International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, which takes place on 17 May 2013.

The conclusions will also provide policy makers with data that enables them to formulate policies to tackle homophobia and transphobia in the EU. FRA appreciates the willingness of the overwhelming number of respondents throughout the 27 EU member states to speak about their personal experiences and answer questions about their everyday encounters with discrimination.

Besides occasional news reports about discrimination against LGBT people, very little comparable data has been collected across the EU concerning their everyday experiences of prejudice. In response to this, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) conducted the first ever online EU-wide survey, aimed at establishing an accurate picture of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people (18 years or older).

As the first EU-wide survey of its kind, the results will support the development of equal treatment policies for LGBT people in the EU and should set the agenda for years to come. National and European policy makers, as well as non-governmental organisations, will be able to better target their advocacy strategies and activities to ensure that LGBT communities can live and express themselves freely in a non-discriminatory environment.

For further information, see the project page.