About a quarter of LGBT people in Japan have experienced outing, or had their sexual orientation or gender identity disclosed to others without their consent, an online survey showed Wednesday. Also according to the survey, about two-thirds of the 10,769 respondents in their teens through their 70s felt society was more "respectful" toward lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people than five years ago. However, nearly 80 percent of those who were employed said they have heard anti-LGBT words.

The survey is the largest of its kind on outings, according to Yasuharu Hidaka, a professor of social epidemiology at Takarazuka University, who conducted it from September to December last year on behalf of Lifenet Insurance Co.

The survey found 25.1 percent of respondents said they had been outed, with transgender men reporting the most such cases at 53.6 percent. Of the 8,690 respondents with jobs, 78.9 percent said they "have heard discriminatory speech about sexual minorities at work or school."

Hidaka said outings fuel "fear of those who are not out about their lives crumbling, with the worst case scenario leading to their deaths." Read more via Kyodo News