Poll shows Russians’ changing attitudes to LGBT

Some 44% of those surveyed said that they view gays and lesbians with “disgust and fear”

More than a half of Russians hold a negative opinion on LGBT people, a poll by the Levada Center has revealed.

The survey, the results of which were published on Monday, took place between October 24 and 30 and involved 1,617 people from 137 cities, towns and villages across Russia.

“Negative attitudes towards LGBT people in Russia are growing,” the Levada Center, which is listed as a foreign agent in the country, said on its website.

According to the study, 44% of respondents view gays and lesbians with “disgust and fear,” another 15% are irritated by them, and are 10% wary of such people.

Some 26% described their attitude on the issue as calm and non-emotional. Those with positive feelings about the LGBT community comprised only 1%, while 0% said they were interested in sexual minorities, the poll found.

The number of respondents expressing disgust or fear over sexual minorities is 17% higher than a similar study from 2013, when the figure was 27%, the Levada Center noted.

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Over the last five years, the proportion of Russians who do not agree with the notion that gays and lesbians should enjoy the same rights as other citizens has been steadily growing, currently totalling 62%, according to the study.

Almost two thirds of respondents (62%) told the Levada Center that they were concerned that their children or grandchildren could become victims of gay propaganda.

More than a half of those surveyed (59%) said that they would communicate less or stop communicating altogether with their acquaintances if they found out they were homosexual, the study said.

According to the poll, a tenth of respondents confirmed that they know somebody who is gay or lesbian.

A ban on disseminating LGBTQ material among those aged under 18 was introduced in Russia in 2013. In 2022, the legislation was expanded to include both minors and adults.

Last year, Russia’s Supreme Court outlawed the “international LGBT public movement,” designating it an extremist organization.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin previously clarified that the authorities do not have any issues with what members of the gay community do in their personal lives, as long as they “don’t flaunt it” in public and do not involve children.