What is the Swiss LGBTIQ+ Panel?
The Swiss LGBTIQ+ Panel is led by Dr. Tabea Hässler (University of Zurich) and Dr. Léïla Eisner (University of Zurich). It is a longitudinal study assessing the situation of LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer) individuals in Switzerland since 2019 in an annual manner (2019, 2020, and 2021). In 2022, 2,500 LGBTIQ+ and 900 cis-heterosexual (i.e., heterosexual individuals whose gender identity corresponds to their assigned sex) people completed the survey.
The goal of the Swiss LGBTIQ+ Panel is to extend our understanding of how LGBTIQ+ individuals feel integrated in Swiss society and how the situation is changing over time.
Following people over time is important because we currently know very little about how peoples opinions and levels of satisfaction with their lives may change gradually over time or change rapidly in response to current events in society (extension of the anti-discrimination law, legalization of same-sex marriage).
We believe that the insights of the Swiss LGBTIQ+ Panel and the study on the Marriage Equality voting have high practical relevance for LGBTIQ+ and cis-heterosexual individuals, people in the educational context, LGBTIQ+ and other non-profit organizations, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to promote the health and integration of LGBTIQ+ individuals.