Introduction
This report analyses the results of two researches carried out in the Netherlands. The research was done in the context of the NISO Project “Fighting homophobia through active citizenship and media education”, a two years initiative co-funded by EU (DG Justice) through its Human Rights and Citizenship Programme. The aim of the NISO project is to engage students in a participative process aimed to discuss and possibly overcome social exclusion and stereotypes of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).
The first phase of the project consisted of analysing homophobic behaviours, attitudes and stereotypes among the population and more in particular among young people and LGBT people in the four participating countries: Belgium, Estonia, Italy and The Netherlands.
First a background analysis has been done on the political and social context. This was done by through desktop research in each country and a meta/analysis across the four participating countries. This report showed that LGBT people are still regular victims of social exclusion and discrimination, and in most countries, schools are found to be unsafe environments for LGBT students.
In order to obtain a more detailed picture of the most common stereotypes and of the experiences of discrimination suffered by LGBT persons, the second step of the research consisted of carrying out two surveys in each participating country: one among the LGBT community and one among secondary school students. The surveys were based on two comparable questionnaires. The same questionnaires, translated, were used in all participating countries. The two questionnaires aimed in particular at gathering information on the main stereotypes against LGBT people, their inclusion in the society and their experience at school.
A transnational analysis of the results obtained in the four countries will be also carried out.
The results gathered through the two surveys carried out in the Netherlands are presented in this report. First the methodology adopted for the research and the two samples are presented. The second chapter focuses on the main stereotypes attached to gender identity and sexual orientation diffused in the society and among the students, and their effects on the two target groups. The social inclusion and acceptance of LGBT persons according to them and to the students is analysed in the third chapter, together with the causes of the lack of social inclusion and the opinion of students on some LGBT rights. Finally, the fourth chapter regards more in particular the situation at school.
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Source – MSM Global Forum
