The Constitution should provide effective protection for lesbian and gay people in South Africa,
The study found that more than half of South Africans (51%) agreed that the Constitution should provide protections for lesbian and gay people compared to 29% who disagreed and 16% chose neither.
In a statement, it said at least 80% of the LGBTQI+ community in South Africa have not experienced discrimination by healthcare providers.
But the revelations show there is still a long way to go for equality in queer communities. The Eastern Cape, for instance, was identified as the most homophobic province in the country by the IRR.
LGBTQI+ people in the Eastern Cape are three times more likely to be punched, hit, kicked or beaten than in other provinces. Black community members are also more likely to be victims of violence.
"Black LGBT people are twice as likely as white LGBT people to know of someone being murdered on these grounds – which partially explains why only half of the black respondents are completely open about their sexuality," the IRR said.