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Raquel Carvalho

Most lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Macau are unhappy and feel “considerable” or “high levels” of discrimination, according to the largest survey of its kind in the former Portuguese enclave.
The majority of respondents said the government did not have effective anti-discrimination policies in place.
The online survey by Rainbow of Macau – the first gay rights group officially registered in the city – attracted 715 people, compared to 186 respondents in 2013, which the organisers considered a signal that the LGBT community in Macau was increasingly outspoken.
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Sixty-five per cent of respondents thought discrimination was “considerable” or “high”.
Some 55.8 per cent said government efforts to destigmatise the LGBT community were “very inadequate”, compared with 52.31 per cent for educational institutions.
“It suggests that the government and educational institutions should promote public understanding of the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identities by prioritising gender equality in school curricula and public awareness campaigns,” said Jason Chao, spokesman for Rainbow of Macau.
Around 88 per cent of respondents also said they were unaware of anti-discrimination legislation in Macau, despite a law protecting workers from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. “The government should raise public awareness of the labour law to ensure that lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Macau effectively enjoy the protection,” Chao noted.
On a scale of one (meaning very unhappy) to 10 (very happy), around 60 per cent of respondents graded their emotional situation as five or below.
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The emotional burden seems to be shared by their counterparts in neighbouring Hong Kong. A survey by the Women Coalition this week showed that 35 per cent of lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders suffered emotional problems. Some 24 per cent of respondents had depression – six times the rate of the general population – and 30 per cent had attempted, or thought of attempting, suicide.
Unlike in Hong Kong, LGBT activism in Macau is a relatively new topic. In a city where both traditional Chinese culture and Catholicism play important roles, the first LGBT rights group was created only in 2012.
Activists have fought for the inclusion of gay couples in a domestic violence bill as well as for recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions in the city.


Two-thirds of Macau’s LGBT community face ‘high’ discrimination, survey finds 

A gay pride parade last year in Hong Kong, where activists are much more outspoken. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Hong Kong

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Activists urge government to promote gender equality in schools and run public awareness campaigns


Two-thirds of Macau’s LGBT community face ‘high’ discrimination, survey finds

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Activists urge government to promote gender equality in schools and run public awareness campaigns

Activists urge government to promote gender equality in schools and run public awareness campaigns