Needs and barriers around affective-sexual and gender diversity: are the system and institutions up to the task?

Despite advancements towards full equality for LGBTIQA + individuals, progress is neither linear nor complete. Therefore, it is important to delve into the challenges, needs, and obstacles that remain to be addressed. This study analyzed the barriers and needs surrounding affective-sexual diversity and gender identity, revealing discriminations and their mechanisms. A qualitative design utilizing focus groups was selected. The perceptions of 19 participants were analyzed, including representatives from NGOs and educational institutions ( n  = 7), NGOs focused on sexual diversity ( n  = 7), and public institutions ( n  = 5). All groups included both LGBTIQA + and non-LGBTIQA + individuals. The results revealed the existence of barriers in the form of more or less direct discrimination, such as ridicule, resistance to implementing the law, different types of violence. This discrimination originates and persists due to a combination of macrosocial factors, such as a sociocultural context marked by a cisheteronormative collective imaginary that generates social rejection, the naturalization of violence, and myths; and microsocial factors, including individual aspects in the form of attitudes fueled by cognitions (beliefs, stereotypes, and ignorance) and emotions (prejudices connected to fear, disgust, or paternalism/maternalism). Needs related to training, compliance with laws, and the review of implemented strategies were also highlighted.