MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. As many as 65% of Russians say they don’t know LGBT people, according to a poll conducted by the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center.

The poll revealed that the share of those who have LGBT people in their environment has grown to 15% from eight percent in 2015. A total of 18% of female respondents and 11% of male ones said they knew LGBT people. Those who have LGBT acquaintances include young people aged 18-24 years, university degree holders and residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"More than half of Russians (56%) think that external forces cannot change the sexual orientation of adults, and one-third (31%) are absolutely certain about it," the pollster said, adding that 30% did not rule out such a possibility, with the share reaching 47% in the North Caucasus Federal District.

The nationwide poll involving 1,600 respondents over 18 years of age was conducted on August 6, 2022. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5% at the 95% confidence level.