Part I Experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex in the Asia Pacific The family was the primary perpetrator of violence according to LBT people in Asia. Family members carried out emotional, verbal, physical and sexual violence against LBT people. This violence occurred regularly and had greater and longer lasting impact than violence perpetrated by nonfamily members. LBT people in Asia reported an unexpectedly high occurrence of intimate partner violence, including physical and sexual violence. Perpetrators of partner violence were same-sex partners, dating partners, and heterosexual and cisgender partners of transgender individuals. There were also reports of spousal violence by heterosexual husbands of lesbians in forced marriages.125 Women in the Pacific also reported experiences of violence. … there are specific challenges faced by women, particularly silence within Pacific communities about lesbians, and violence towards lesbian women, often in the family sphere or domestic sphere. We remind Governments of Pacific Island Countries and Territories that they have responsibility to protect [lesbian, gay and bisexual] communities from human rights abuses like physical and sexual violation, and discrimination.126 Bullying of lesbian, gay and bisexual children is a form of violence. It is a particular concern because of the long-term impact it can have on them. Delegates to a Pacific conference gave accounts of serious bullying of lesbian, gay and bisexual students in secondary school. This led to young people leaving the education system before completing their qualification and included ongoing verbal, sexual and physical assault. The outcomes of this bullying range from driving young people to engage in sex work, as they lack qualifications for other employment, or worse, they commit suicide.127 Bullying of lesbian, gay and bisexual students seems to be endemic throughout the Asia Pacific region. Evidence from India and Bangladesh indicates 50 percent of homosexual men experienced harassment in school or college. In a 2012 survey conducted in China, 77 percent of [lesbian, gay and bisexual] students suffered at least one form of bullying. In Thailand, a survey found one-third of [lesbian, gay and bisexual] students had been physically harassed and one-quarter sexually harassed. Seven percent had attempted suicide. In Japan, 83 percent of gay and bisexual men had experienced homophobic bullying at school. In Mongolia, 7 percent of students reported having been physically assaulted because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. In Viet Nam, a survey found that 44 percent of [lesbian, gay and bisexual] students had experienced at least one form of bullying during their 12 years in school, with the most common being verbal harassment. Sixteen percent of them faced physical harassment and 19 percent faced sexual harassment.128 In New Zealand, a report on bullying in schools found: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning (LGBTIQ) young people are overrepresented in bullying statistics. An online survey of LGBTIQ young people in schools, conducted by the Ministry of Youth Development, highlighted the importance of schools leading by example through: • • • • • acknowledging and normalising LGBTIQ young people having strong anti-bullying policies for all LGBTIQ students educating students and teachers on sexuality and gender diversity establishing support networks and guidance channels for LGBTIQ students offering facilities and clothing options that are not gender specific (eg, school uniforms and unisex bathrooms).129 125 International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (now OutRight Action International), Violence Through the Lens of Lesbians, Bisexual Women and Trans People in Asia, 2014, p. 17 at www.outrightinternational.org/content/violence-throughlens-lbt-people-asia. 126 Pacific Sexual Diversity Network, Diverse Voices for Action and Equality and ARC International, “Our Voices, our Communities, our Rights: Advancing Human Rights related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression in the Pacific”, Report of the Pacific LGBTQI Human Rights Conference, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 11-14 May 2015, p. 47; at http://arc-international.net/wp-content/ uploads/2015/09/SOGIHR-Report-final.pdf. 127 Ibid, p. 46. 128 UNDP, Leave no one behind: Advancing social, economic, cultural, and political inclusion of LGBTI people in Asia and the Pacific, 2016 forthcoming. 129 New Zealand Ministry of Education, Bullying prevention and response: a guide for schools, 2015, p. 22; at www.hrc.co.nz/ files/5714/3226/0531/MOEBullyingGuide2015Web.pdf. Chapter 2: Being lesbian, gay and bisexual in the Asia Pacific | 37