Russian Anti-Gender-Change Law Gains 41.58% Support, Survey Finds

In July 2023, Russia’s Duma approved a law banning gender changes in Russia, part of Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ people under President Putin. The law bans gender changes on official documents and medical interventions while also preventing transgender individuals from adopting and annuling marriages after gender changes.

Concerns include a potential black market for treatments and increased mental health issues. This is the latest step in Russia’s ongoing restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights, reflecting Putin’s stance against Western society.

Therefore, Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on imposing the anti-gender-change law in Russia to gauge public perceptions about the anti-gender-change law in Russia.

Highlights:

• 41.58% find the anti-gender-change law in Russia highly justified.
• 44.81% emphasize traditional values over certain rights as being unimportant.
• More than half (52.43%) support the annulment of marriages.

The recent legislation signed by Vladimir Putin, which prohibits legal and medical gender changes, has generated varying levels of awareness and opinions among the public. A notable portion of respondents (39.53%) were completely unaware of the law, while 31.29% had a vague awareness and 29.18% were well-informed.

Public Opinion Snapshot on Russia’s Anti-Gender-Change Law: A Complex Discourse on Traditional Values and Human Rights

The law’s justification, framed as a defense of “traditional values,” garnered mixed responses. A significant percentage (41.58%) deemed it highly justified, while 39.35% found it somewhat justified. On the contrary, 14.68% considered it somewhat unjustified, and 4.39% believed it to be highly unjustified.

The human rights implications of Russia’s recent anti-gender-change law have evoked varying perceptions among the public. A considerable portion (45.2%) perceived the ban as an absolute violation, with 39.85% seeing it as somewhat violative and 14.95% viewing it as not violating human rights at all.

Assessing Public Opinion on Controversial Aspects of Anti-Gender-Change Law in Russia

Russian lawmakers approved a toughened version of an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that outlaws gender transitioning procedures, with added clauses that annul marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bar transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

The provision to annul marriages in which one person has changed gender sparked divided opinions, with 52.43% supporting the annulment and 47.57% opposing it. Similarly, the prohibition of transgender individuals from becoming foster or adoptive parents garnered support from 53.65% of respondents, while 46.35% opposed it.

Balancing Act: Russia’s Anti-Gender-Change Law and the Clash of Values

There is no doubt that the measure, which would be a crushing blow to Russia’s beleaguered LGBTQ+ community, would be passed as part of the Kremlin’s battle to safeguard the country’s “traditional values.”

The significance of upholding “traditional values” by limiting certain rights and freedoms for specific groups was debated, as 44.81% considered it not at all important, 24.36% viewed it as not so important, 18.68% found it somewhat important, and 12.15% deemed it very important.

The assertion by lawmakers that the legislation safeguards Russia against “Western anti-family ideology,” often describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism,” divided opinions closely, with 49.22% agreeing with the statement and 50.38% disagreeing.

The anticipated consequences of the ban on transgender individuals in Russia encompassed various challenges. The potential for social stigmatization and discrimination was highlighted by 40.91% of respondents, followed by difficulties in accessing public services (27%), increased mental health challenges (17.42%), limitations on job opportunities (9.15%), and other reasons (5.46%).

In sum, public opinion on Russia’s anti-gender-change law reflects a complex and diverse range of views. While a significant percentage supports the law and its perceived alignment with traditional values, there are substantial concerns about human rights violations and adverse consequences for transgender individuals in the country.