A new study into the opinions and lifestyles of 1,300 Bogota residents found that over 50% maintain prejudices against homosexuals and 31% believe that to be a “good citizen” is to comply with the norms of society.
The investigation, conducted by the Department for Culture, Recreation and Sports of Bogota’s mayor’s office, asked the capital’s residents to answer a series of questions on a range of topics, including poverty, violence, citizenship and feelings towards their city.
When asked whether they thought homosexuals should be allowed to work in education, 57.26% of those asked said that they should not, whilst 32% said that homosexuals should be allowed.
Furthermore, when provided with a list of options, 24.49% of the participants said they would not want to have homosexual neighbors. 21% said they would not want to live next door to politicians and 10% would not want displaced citizens as neighbors.
Gay rights activist Marcela Sanchez said of the results, “It’s incredible that these negative images about what it is to be a homosexual, they consider it undesirable, they don’t know the reality. There are a lack of educational and cultural policies in this sense.”
Participants were asked about their view of violence levels in the Colombian capital and when asked whether people should be permitted to possess and carry guns, 76% said that they should not and 70% said that they would in no circumstance carry a gun themselves.
More than 40% of Bogota residents said that they feel at ease in their neighborhoods and 60% said that they felt that their rights are less at risk than in the past.
Politicians, public officials and DAS officials were named as those that most threatened the rights of the participants.
Only 9% of those that took part said that they completely trust their neighbors, while 58.73% said they trusted their families.
Over 70% of participants said that they had had realized their political aspirations, while 61.2% said that they love thier city.
For more details on the study from El Tiempo, click here.