The classrooms of schools are a good reflection of sexual diversity. 16.1% of students between the ages of 15 and 18 declare themselves to be bisexual (12.2%) or homosexual (3.9%), to which should be added 9.8% who avoid speaking out “because they are in determination process”. The rest, 74.1%, declare themselves heterosexual.
That in terms of their affective-sexual orientation, because in relation to their gender identity, 0.5% consider themselves trans boys, the same percentage that declare themselves as a trans girl and 1.7% define themselves as non-binary trans, that is to say, that their identity does not totally or partially fit with the boy-girl category or rather flows from one to the other. In total, 2.8%, one in each media class.
These are some of the data from the LGTBphobia 2021-2022 report, prepared by Cogam, based on the responses of 6,256 students between the ages of 15 and 18 (88% of ESO) in 63 public centers (78%), subsidized and private of the Community of Madrid. This is the only study carried out in Spain and the data is “easily extrapolated” since students from cities and towns in the region have been chosen, according to the entity.
A sexual diversity that, however, does not imply greater tolerance. According to this work, presented this morning at the Ministry of Equality, 35% of all students acknowledge that they have prejudices or some degree of intolerance towards that diversity. An increase of 20 points compared to the previous study, prepared in 2019.
Those who have the most reluctance towards the LGBT community are male students (50.7%), most of whom are “little” prejudiced and 12% quite or very intolerant. “In general -says the study- they are respectful of this group as long as it is not noticed, not seen and remains in the intimate space”.
This translates into harassment and physical and verbal aggression. 3% of students have suffered insults or ridicule, especially trans (17%) and homosexual (7%) students. On social networks, however, there are fewer attacks: 14% of transgender people and 3% of LGBT people state that they have suffered ridicule or insults. Regarding physical attacks, 0.6% have suffered them.
The victims are more defenseless than in 2019. Only 66.5% of those who see these attacks come out in defense of the victim compared to 77% in 2019. And those who come out in defense are mostly girls.
Most of the students (86%) think that the teachers act when there are insults to one or a student due to LGTBphobia. The remaining 14% who think that teachers do not act.
“Only 23% of LGB students have come out of the closet. On the other hand, 21% believe that they would not come out, so they must perceive an unsafe environment in the classroom or that, although this is not a hostile space, their Visibility can have negative consequences when dealing with other people in the center or their families. 29% of the LGBT population would come out of the closet, but they have not done so. It can be understood that they would come out if conditions were favourable,” says the study.
The explanation of why the majority of students do not come out of the closet is due to the correlation between aggression and visibility. 43% of the students who are visible receive insults compared to 21% who receive them even if they are not visible. Coming out is almost twice as likely to be insulted and 12% more likely to be physically assaulted.
And the families? 24.5% of the students think that if they were homosexual, bisexual or trans, their family would not accept it.
