Many Singaporeans on the fence about LGBTQ issues, Ipsos survey finds

SINGAPORE - More Singaporeans support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights than oppose them, but a significant number remain undecided on such issues, a survey by market research firm Ipsos has found.

In particular, people are on the fence about issues relating to how prominent these individuals are in everyday life.

These included how open LGBTQ individuals should be about their sexual orientation and relationships, and having more LGBTQ characters on television, and in films and advertising.

On other questions, such as whether same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children, more people are supportive and the undecided group is much smaller.

Ipsos surveyed respondents from 26 countries, including 500 Singaporeans, on attitudes towards LGBTQ rights in the study released to the media on June 10.

The survey was conducted online between Feb 23 and March 8, with quotas on age, gender and ethnicity in place to ensure the make-up of respondents reflected Singapore’s overall population distribution, Ipsos added.

It noted that respondents in Singapore and nine other countries, such as Thailand, were more urban, educated and affluent than the general population.

“The survey results for these countries should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more ‘connected’ segment of their population,” it said.

Other countries surveyed included the US, Britain, Japan and South Korea.

Singapore ranks in the bottom half of countries surveyed in terms of the level of support people had for LGBTQ couples displaying affection in public, same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, among other things.

And when it comes to topics such as having more LGBT characters on TV, or LGBTQ couples displaying affection in public, the poll found that the biggest group is that of respondents who neither support nor oppose them.

Some 43 per cent neither support nor oppose public displays of affection by LGBTQ couples, compared with 27 per cent who support this and 30 per cent who do not.

On whether LGBT people should be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity with everyone, 40 per cent of respondents are also on the fence, compared with 45 per cent who support this, and the 15 per cent who do not.

Mr Jamie Duncan, head of public affairs at Ipsos in Singapore, said many countries reflect a similar “centrist” public opinion on LGBTQ issues.

“Context plays a significant role, especially in regions with pronounced liberal and conservative divides.

“Consequently, some people may argue that LGBTQ visibility is more acceptable in certain contexts than others, leading to a cautious stance that resists a simple support-or-oppose dichotomy,” he said.

Assistant professor of sociology Shannon Ang from Nanyang Technological University noted the ambiguity in the survey findings.

He pointed out that while only a small proportion of people show visible support for the LGBTQ community, such as by attending a public event, a much larger proportion show acceptance of LGBTQ rights – for instance, agreeing that same-sex couples should be able to have a legally recognised union and adopt children.

Some 54 per cent of respondents agree that same-sex couples should be able to get married or have legal recognition, and 57 per cent agree that they should be able to adopt.

While 25 per cent think same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry or have legal recognition, the remaining 21 per cent are unsure.

On adoption, 30 per cent do not think same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, and 13 per cent are unsure.

“What this means is that those who wish to appeal to the ‘silent majority’ must recognise that many of those who do not speak up openly about it in fact do support the advancement of these rights,” Prof Ang said.

He noted that while 73 per cent agree that LGBTQ individuals should be protected from discrimination in areas such as employment and housing, only 40 per cent support having anti-discrimination laws. Some 20 per cent oppose such laws, while the remaining 40 per cent are on the fence.

“This suggests we will need more and better conversations around how to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination, if not through legal means,” he said.

The survey also found that attitudes diverge across generations, with higher acceptance of LGBTQ rights among the younger generations in Singapore.

For instance, 72 per cent of Generation Z and 69 per cent of millennials polled believe same-sex couples can raise children successfully, compared with 44 per cent of Gen X and 40 per cent of baby boomers.

The survey defined Gen Z as those born from 1997, while millennials are those born from 1981 to 1996. Those in Gen X are born from 1965 to 1980, and baby boomers are born from 1949 to 1964.

Mr Duncan said the 73 per cent in Singapore who believe LGBTQ people should be protected from discrimination is a common ground which serves as a “strong base” for discussion on same-sex marriage and other issues going forward.

Prof Ang said: “We seem to want to protect the rights of LGBTQ individuals to live full lives, for example, marrying or having a legally recognised union, or raising children, but are perhaps wary about making this the norm. In my view, this ambiguity is an opportunity for engagement.

“A large proportion of Singaporeans sitting on the fence is a sign that we have not yet been polarised, that there is still room and time for compromise and for discussion and to seek a better way forward.”