The negative attitude towards LGBT people in Russia is growing: today more than half of the respondents voice a negative attitude, a little more than a quarter are rather neutral or friendly. The share of Russians who believe that gays and lesbians in Russia should enjoy the same rights as other citizens is decreasing (from 50% to 30% in twenty years). Almost two thirds of respondents fear that their children or grandchildren may become victims of “homosexual propaganda.” More than half of Russians would communicate less or stop communicating with friends altogether if they found out about their homosexuality. At the same time, a tenth of the respondents have gay or lesbian acquaintances, and this figure has doubled in ten years.

1 in 10 respondents says that there are homosexual people among his acquaintances, the number of such respondents has been gradually growing since 2015, then only 3% spoke about it (in 2013 and 2016 — 6%).

Young people under 24 (20%), more educated respondents (15% among those with higher education), more affluent respondents (12% among respondents who can afford durable goods), Muscovites – 16%, those who believes that things are going the wrong way in the country (14%), those who trust telegram channels and YouTube channels as sources of information (17% and 18%, respectively) more often than others said that there are homosexual people among their acquaintances.

Older respondents (89% among respondents aged 55 and older), less educated respondents (92% among those with secondary education and below), low-income respondents (88% among respondents who barely have enough to eat), 89% of villagers were more likely to say that there are no homosexual orientation among their acquaintances – as well as 88% of those who believe that things in the country are going in the right direction and 91% of those who trust television as a source of information.

A quarter of the respondents are indifferent towards homosexual people, the share of such responses has decreased by 6% in two years, another 15% are irritated by homosexuals, one in ten respondents feels wary about them. Over the past 11 years (since February 2013), the proportion of Russians who say they treat homosexual people with disgust or fear has been growing (from 27% to 44%).

More often than other groups, men (46%), older respondents (54% among those aged 55 and older), less educated respondents (47% among those with secondary education and below) are disgusted or afraid of people with homosexual orientation, low-income respondents (54% among those who barely have enough to eat), also villagers (53%), those who have no homosexual acquaintances (48%), those who think that things in the country are going in the wrong direction (45%), those who trust television as a source of information (48%).

Men (18%) and older respondents (17% among respondents aged 55 and older), residents of Moscow (23%), those who do not know homosexual orientation (16%), those who believe that things are in the country are also more likely to feel irritation towards homosexual people, as well as those who trust online publications as a source of information (20%) and those who believe the country is moving on the wrong path (17%).

Women (29%), young people under 24 (44%), the more educated (30% among those with higher education), those who can afford durable goods (28%), those who barely have enough money for clothes (28%), those who know people with homosexual orientation (64%), and those who trust YouTube channels as a source of information (47%) are more likely to have a calm and unemotional attitude towards people with homosexual orientation.

The majority of Russians say that their relationships with acquaintances would be affected if they found out about their homosexuality (59% would reduce communication, including 40% would completely stop communicating), one in five (19%) would continue communication, but on condition that the acquaintance would not talk about this part of their life, and 17% said that it would not affect the relationship, since orientation does not matter to them.

Men (67%), older respondents (67% among those aged 55 and older), less educated respondents (62% among those with a high school education or less), those who do not know anyone of homosexual orientation (66%), those who believe that things in the country are going in the right direction (62%), and those who trust television as a source of information (67%) are the most likely to limit communication to the point of stopping communication.

More often than others, women (42%), young people under 24 (52%), more educated respondents (43% among those with higher education), those who have acquaintances of homosexual orientation (83%), those who believe that things in the country are going in the wrong direction (45%), those who trust Telegram and YouTube channels as sources of information (50% and 50%, respectively) would not stop communicating.

It wouldn’t change anything, because sexual orientation doesn’t mean anything to me; It wouldn’t change my opinion of the person, but I wouldn’t want to hear about that part of their life; I would talk to them less; I would stop talking to them; Can’t say

In the last five years (since April 2019), the proportion of Russians who do not agree that gays and lesbians in Russia should enjoy the same rights as other citizens has been growing – 62% (an increase of 19%). The opinion that homosexual people should enjoy the same rights in Russia as other citizens is 30% (a decrease of 17% since April 2019).

The opinion that people of homosexual orientation should not enjoy the same rights in Russia as other citizens is more common among men (68%), older respondents (67% among respondents aged 55 and older), less educated respondents (66% among those with secondary education and below), those who do not know any homosexuals (67%), those who believe that things in the country are going in the right direction (65%), those who trust television as a source of information (67%).

The opinion that homosexual people should enjoy the same rights in Russia as other citizens is more common among women (35%), young people under 24 (42%), more educated respondents (40% among those with higher education), those who have homosexual acquaintances (64%), those who believe that things in the country are going the wrong way (42%), those who trust YouTube channels as sources of information (47%).

In 10 years, fears have grown among Russians that their children or grandchildren may become victims of “homosexual propaganda” to 62% (an increase of 17%). 34% of respondents are not afraid of this (a decrease of 8%). It is worth noting that this distribution of responses is similar to the measurement data in February 2013, then 60% were afraid that children/grandchildren might become victims of propaganda, 27% were not afraid.

Women (65%), respondents aged 40 and older (65%), respondents with professional education (66%), those who do not know people of homosexual orientation (65%) were more likely to answer that they are afraid that their children or grandchildren may become victims of “propaganda of homosexuality”, as well as those who believe that things are going in the right direction in the country (63%) and those who trust television as a source of information (66%).

Men (60%), young people under 24 (51%), more educated respondents (41% among those with higher education), those who have acquaintances of homosexual orientation (55%) are not afraid more than others that their children or grandchildren may become victims of “propaganda of homosexuality”, those who believe that things in the country are going the wrong way (43%), those who trust YouTube channels as a source of information (58%).