News

The Graphic Truth: Global attitudes towards LGBT people

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.

More For You

Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat, Budapest, Hungary, April 13, 2026.
REUTERS/Marton Monus/File Photo

At first glance, Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar may appear to be the antithesis of the man he defeated in the April 12 election, Viktor Orbán. Yet the pair might be closer than you think – both on policy and politics.