AUSTRALIAN STATS
75%
Of LGBTQIA+ youth experience some form of discrimination.(1)77%
of Trans & Gender Diverse people report being discriminated against in the past 12 months(2).35%
of LGBTQIA+ Australians have experienced verbal abuse in the past 12 months(2)39%
of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced depression in the past 12 months.(2)33%
of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced anxiety in the past 12 months.(2)COMPARED TO
6.2%
of the general population having experienced depression in the past 12 months.(3)RECOGNISING DISCRIMINATION
Transphobia
Describes negative feelings or actions towards someone who's trans or gender diverse. You may have heard transphobic language like ‘tr*nny’, or seen restrictions on the way that people are allowed to express their gender. Things like which uniform you’re allowed to wear or toilets you can use. Transphobia can also include abusive threats or actual physical violence, sexual harassment and deliberately excluding someone because of their gender.Homophobia
Verbal homophobia is the most common form. Things like name-calling, rumours and abusive words ('fag’ or ‘dyke’). Phrases like “that’s so gay” which compare sexuality to words like ‘crap’ can have a negative impact.Homophobia also include abusive threats or actual physical violence, sexual harassment and deliberately excluding someone because of their sexuality.
Biphobia
Biphobia is abuse towards someone who is attracted to more than one gender, and even includes when that person's identity is erased. This can be in the form of telling someone that their sexuality is "just a phase", or even telling them to "pick a side."Interphobia
Intersex discrimination happens when a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because that person has physical, hormonal or genetic features that are neither wholly female nor wholly male; a combination of female and male; or neither female nor male. This can include exclusion or mistreatment in medical services.THE IMPACT
Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia can occur online, face to face and affect everyone by creating spaces where people feel unsafe and like they can't be themselves. Sexuality and gender identity or intersex status aren't always visible, so creating a culture where everyone feels safe, even if there aren't any visible LGBTI people is even more important.