Interfax: Over 80% of Russians against same-sex marriages

(Interfax – May 18, 2015)

The percentage of Russians who are positive about the law banning the propaganda of homosexuality is increasing and is now 77 percent against 67 percent in 2013, Levada Center told Interfax.

Fifteen percent of the respondents do not support this law and 7 percent said they are not interested, a poll surveying 800 people conducted in 46 regions of Russia shows.

Over half of the respondents said they see this law aims to protect morals (67 percent against 60 percent in 2013), while 14 percent believe it aims to distract public attention from other problems and 7 percent believe it is aimed at fanning feud.

Seven percent of the respondents said they support the idea to allow same-sex marriage in Russia and 84 percent said they are negative towards it.

Twenty-nine percent of the respondents believe homosexuals are subjected to physical violence in Russia, while 32 percent believe they are discriminated against (psychological pressure, encroachments on rights, etc.). Thirty-seven percent of the respondents and 33 percent of the respondents respectively, have the opposite opinion.

A little more than one-third of the respondents (37 percent) believe homosexuality is a disease that needs to be treated (against 34 percent in 2013). One-fourth of the respondents (26 percent against 17 percent in 2013) see homosexuality as a result of bad upbringing, promiscuity and a bad habit.

The percentage of respondents who see homosexuality as a result of seduction has decreased from 23 percent to 13 percent in the past two years. One out of every ten respondents believe homosexuality is innate (11 percent against 16 percent in 2013).

Two-thirds of Russians said their feelings about homosexuals are manly negative: fear and loathing (24 percent), irritation (22 percent), and tension (19 percent). One out of every four respondents (26 percent) reacts to homosexuals and lesbians “calmly, without any special emotion.” Only 3 percent are friendly to homosexuals or interested in them.