The largest survey ever of the state's LGBTIQ-plus community has found most participants had been told at some stage of their lives that their identity was the result of trauma or pathology.
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The survey, commissioned by the state government and undertaken by the University of Tasmania, was completed by 825 people with an average age of 36.
Survey results were collected through an online survey, online interviews and focus groups.
Participants predominantly described themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and one quarter described themselves as transgender or non-binary.
The survey found one third of LGBTIQ-plus Tasmanians had experienced abuse within the home and 75 per cent sometimes or always wanted to hide their identity in public, fearing abuse.
Thirty-four per cent of participants reported they had experienced verbal abuse or threats of violence at school.
An alarming 97 per cent of participants reported that they had been told their sexuality or gender identity was the result of trauma or pathology and should be changed, fixed or healed.
Five-per-cent of participants reported they had experienced conversion practices.
The reporte noted many participants took pride in the perception that Tasmania had a growing acceptance of LGBTIQ-plus people and acknowledged the importance of the state's Anti-Discrimation Act in this respect.
It noted mental healthcare was the most prominent point of discussion, including lacking psychotherapy supports.
"The highest priority overall appeared to be a funded mental health and suicide prevention strategy, followed by other inclusion priorities," the report said.
It said access to affordable and inclusive healthcare that was appropriate and empathetic emerged was a common concern for participants.
The report's authors said some transgender people reported behaviour from healthcare practitioners that could be defined as sexual assault.
"It is clear the underlying reason for this was inappropriate curiosity, referring to the intrusive questions that transgender and gender diverse people get asked about the lives," they said.
Equality Tasmania president Rodney Croome said the report showed LGBTIQ-plus Tasmanians were deeply concerned about how stigmatisation affected mental health and by continued abuse and bullying.
"The 25th anniversary of homosexual decriminalisation on May 1 reminded us how far the Tasmanian LGBTIQ+ community has come since it was a crime to be gay," he said. "Now, the survey of the LGBTIQ+ community commissioned by the state government has shown us how far we have yet to go before we are a truly inclusive and equal society.
"While many survey respondents said Tasmania is a wonderful place to live, they also made it clear the government must do much more to ensure LGBTIQ+ Tasmanians have the same quality of life as other Tasmanians."
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
