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60 per cent of respondents said they would not stay friends with a mate becoming trans and 50 per cent said they would not stay friends with a mate coming out as gay.

An unscientific urinal poll organised by Canterbury mental health campaign All Right? suggests a higher than expected number of men hold a negative opinion of trans and gay people.

Five polling screens placed in urinals at Christchurch bars Dux central and Bealey’s Speights Ale House were splashed with over 5000 responses from about 2000 men.

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60 per cent of respondents said they would not stay friends with a mate becoming trans and 50 per cent said they would not stay friends with a mate coming out as gay.

Speaking to stuff.co.nz, All Right? mental health promoter Ciaran Fox says the “very unscientific” survey was a “fun, novel way to get health promotion in front of blokes who might not even notice posters”.

The peeing poll was a novel solution to get men engaged with the All Right? campaign, which started in Canterbury after the 2011 earthquakes to promote wellbeing in the region.

Market research showed men were less likely to engage in the online survey, which meant mental health promoters needed to come up with new ways to get men involved.

According to stuff, participants were asked to aim left or right to answer a list of 20 questions about attitudes to things like boys playing with dolls, the manliness of rugby versus yoga, and friendship in addition to their views on gay and trans people.

The peeing poll conflicts with online surveys which have shown men upwards of 85% of men saying they would stay friends with a mate who came out as gay or transgender.

University of Canterbury marketing expert Ekant Veer says the difference in results shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

 

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