'We automatically look over our shoulders' Nearly half of Russian LGBTQ people faced violence or threats in 2024, new report finds
The Russian LGBTQ+ rights groups Vykhod (“Coming Out”) and the Sphere Foundation have released a new report detailing the experiences of queer people in Russia in 2024. Based on responses from more than 6,000 people, the study paints a grim picture of life under intensifying repression, including the government’s bans on so-called “LGBT propaganda” and gender transition as well as the non-existent “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist organization.” Meduza shares key points from the study, based on a summary from the independent outlet Bumaga.
The study's authors note that the sample skewed toward cisgender men (48 percent), largely due to the survey’s distribution via a queer dating site. Women, transgender, and non-binary individuals were underrepresented. As in past years, the majority of respondents were based in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Censorship and denunciations
Vykhod and the Sphere Foundation collected 6,403 survey responses between December 2024 and January 2025. The questionnaire was distributed through social media, dating apps, partner organizations, and personal networks.
The two organizations have been publishing annual reports on the difficulties facing LGBTQ+ communities in Russia since 2022. This year's survey added new questions on self-censorship and denunciations, reflecting increased legal risks for queer people and mounting pressure from the state not to be open about their identities.
Just five percent of respondents reported emigrating in 2024 — slightly down from six percent in 2023 and 15 percent in 2022. The most commonly cited reasons for leaving included growing homophobia and transphobia, legal persecution, feelings of insecurity, and increasing censorship.
Threats of prosecution
Fourteen percent of respondents said they were threatened with being reported to the authorities in 2024. The number was even higher among transgender respondents — 18 percent. LGBTQ+ teenagers were the most vulnerable group, with nearly one in five (19.9 percent) reporting such threats.
Despite these widespread threats, only one percent said someone had actually reported them. Complaints were typically sent to law enforcement agencies such as the police, the Investigative Committee, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Justice Ministry, and federal censorship agency Roskomnadzor. Others were reported to schools, universities, employers, or child welfare services.
In most cases, these denunciations had no consequences. “This may be due to a lack of evidence or lack of interest from law enforcement,” the report notes.
Poverty and sex work
Twenty percent of respondents said they could only afford basic food — slightly better than 2023’s figure of 22 percent. Economic conditions remained particularly dire for transgender respondents: 31 percent reported living in poverty, compared to 33 percent the year before.
Seventy-one percent of all respondents reported having a stable income, but this dropped to 57 percent among transgender individuals. The researchers link the disparity to widespread discrimination and the generally younger age of transgender respondents.
Even among those with jobs, most respondents earned less than the national average. Compared to Rosstat’s benchmark of 84,000 rubles ($1,044) per month (pre-tax), a third of respondents earned between 40,000–70,000 rubles ($497–$870), a quarter between 70,000–130,000 ($870–$1,615), and 18 percent earned just 19,000–40,000 ($236–$497).
Five percent said they had earned money in 2024 through some form of sex work, including escort services, pornography, and webcam modeling. Those who disclosed this said they had no other viable options due to financial hardship.
Violence on the rise
Nearly half of respondents (47.5 percent) said they had been physically abused or threatened with violence — a four-point increase from the previous year. This was most common among transgender respondents.
Sexualized violence was reported by 361 respondents, or six percent — two percentage points fewer than in 2023. Eight percent of transgender respondents said they experienced sexual violence, a three-point drop from the previous year. In most cases, the perpetrators were people the victims already knew: coworkers, friends, romantic partners, or family members.
Two percent of respondents — most often ones from the North Caucasus — said they had been subjected to conversion therapy. These included forced visits to psychiatrists or clergy, involuntary hospitalization, religious ceremonies, and exorcisms.
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Fear and secrecy intensify
The report indicates that state censorship and social hostility have driven many LGBTQ+ people into silence. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they feel the impact of censorship targeting LGBTQ+ issues. Eighty-five percent reported a rise in homophobic and transphobic attitudes in society. And 91 percent said they practice self-censorship when discussing their sexual orientation, gender identity, or related topics with others.
This pressure has extended into healthcare. Only 22 percent said they had disclosed their orientation or gender identity to a medical provider in 2024, down from 25 percent the year before. Nearly a third (29 percent) said they had avoided seeking medical care at least once due to fears of discrimination. The report's authors linked these changes to growing pressure from the state.
Rights groups restricted
After the “international LGBT movement” was declared “extremist” by the Russian authorities, human rights groups lost the ability to publicly support LGBTQ+ people. Multiple safe spaces for queer people have shut down in the year and a half since, according to activists cited in the report.
In 2024, there was a sharp increase in requests for help with emigration, asylum, and emergency evacuations due to persecution. There was also a spike in demand for psychological support, as more people faced constant stress, police raids, and criminal charges.
St. Petersburg remains the most open part of Russia
As in previous years, St. Petersburg ranked as the most queer-friendly place in Russia. Among local respondents, 56 percent said they were open about their identity with most friends, 16 percent said they were out to their relatives, and 22 percent said they were open at work or school.
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