The Graphic Truth: Global attitudes towards LGBT people
June 07, 2021
Different factors shape popular attitudes towards LGBT communities within a given country. In states with heavy religious overtones, like Poland and Russia for instance, the general population is less likely to accept that gay people should be broadly accepted by society. Meanwhile, residents in nations where right-leaning politics dominate are also less likely to support the LGBT community's rights, according to a Pew study. But global attitudes are shifting somewhat: in Japan, where conservative ideas about gender identity and sexual orientation have long dominated, 68 percent of Japanese now think gay people should be fully accepted by society, up from 54 percent in 2002. We take a look at attitudes in select countries from 2002-2019.