Educational level in its mediating role in discrimination observed based on sexual orientation

This paper is aimed to analyze the variables with the greatest influence on the sensitivity of the perception of discrimination in general and towards the "people of the LGBTI sectors ". Following this objective, we studied the mediating role of the formal educational level in raising awareness towards discrimination, defined as behaviors aimed at separating or ignoring a person or a group, based on the 2017 versions of the Multipurpose Survey of the District Planning Secretariat and the Biennial Survey of Cultures of the Department of Citizen Culture of the Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Sports of the Mayor's Office of Bogota, Colombia. The survey samples had 319 952 people representing 8 052 740 people and 16 312 people representing 6 391 049 people, respectively. The type of discrimination most frequently observed was due to sexual orientation, rather than by appearance, race, peasant origin, religion, being male or female, economic status, or identification with social groups. A significant difference was found in the percentage of people who have witnessed discrimination based on sexual orientation according to the educational level and the age group of the observer. Through the statistical technique of modelling decision trees, it was found that the variables that weigh the most, in order of importance, to decide whether "a person from LGBTI sectors is a risk or not to society " are: educational level, socioeconomic status, age and sex. Thus, younger and better-educated women are less likely to perceive "people from LGBTI sectors " as a risk to society. The educational level, as a variable that can be modified through public policies, enables cultural changes towards real social developments, favoring citizens' exercise and respect for human rights.