Short technical information:

Sample size: 1060 permanent residents of Latvia from 15 to 74 years old. Sample design is based on latest statistics of permanent residents of the Latvian Republic.

Sampling method: multistage stratified random sampling

Stratification criteria: administrative – territorial division of Latvia

Research Method: face–to–face interviews at the places of residence of respondents

Regional division: All regions of Latvia (134 points)

Survey period: December 11, 2009 – December 29, 2009

Attitude towards partnership law

According to the study 28% of residents in Latvia think that a partnership law that should regulate the rights and obligations of registered couples should target only the couples of  opposite sex, and 1/10 of  society (11%) agrees that this law should include all couples regardless of their gender.

Almost 2/5 of respondents (39%) pointed out that “there is no need for such law”, but 23% of respondents refused to share an opinion on this question (answer: “difficult to answer”).

The opinion that the partnership law should target “Adult couples regardless of their gender”  was mostly  expressed by respondents with upper-moderate income (16.6%) or high income (20.7%) living in other national cities (21.5%), not in Riga.

It must be stated that residents with higher education mostly suggested  that any partnership law should target both couples of opposite sex (31.7%) and couples regardless of their gender (15.9%). Amongst residents with higher education there were less responses suggesting that there is no need for such law (32.7%).

Possible actions if people learn that their colleague is homosexual

More than 2/5 of respondents (42%) answered that in the event of their  learning that their colleague is homosexual, their relationships would most likely  not change.

4% of Latvian residents said that they would support their colleague but about 1/3 stated that they would  distance themselves from the colleague: 25% would  have less contact with the colleague, 4% would discuss this situation with their other colleagues and most likely would  take action against their colleague and 4% would take steps to get their colleague fired  or would try to get this person to quit their job.

The answer “I most likely would support the colleague and if needed defend the colleague” was chosen mostly by people with higher education (6.7%), working in the public sector (6.5%), and with upper-moderate income (6%) or high income (5.9%) and living in Latgale (8,4%) (South Eastern Latvia / a very poor.  predominantly Catholic region).

Actions aiming  to get the person fired  would be undertaken by people with basic education (7.3%), respondents without Latvian citizenship and living in the Riga region (7%) (not in the city). In Latgale 5.9% of respondents would participate in actions against the colleague s compared to  9.4% of respondents in other national cities

Attitude towards homosexual people and homosexual relationships

The results of the study show that more than  half of the respondents consider  homosexual relationships to be  reprehensible: 22% of residents condemn homosexual people and homosexual relationships but 30% of respondents answer that they don’t have anything against homosexual people but they do condemn homosexual relationships.

28% share the opinion that “homosexual people and homosexual relationships should not be condemned”. Mostly these are respondents with higher education (31.2%) and respondents with low (30.8%), upper-moderate (35.2%) and high incomes (35%), as well as those living in Riga (33.5%).

Meanwhile the answer “homosexual people and homosexual relationships should be condemned”  was mostly chosen by respondents in the over 55 age group (30%), residents with basic education (26%), Russian speakers (24%),  Latvian noncitizens and respondents with moderate incomes (27.3%), living in Riga region (27.5) and in other national cities (27.1%).

Opinion on social attitude towards homosexual people

According to the survey more than 1/4 of Latvian society (28%) feel that the social attitude towards homosexual people should stay the same as now.  22%, would like to see a more tolerant social attitude towards homosexual people but 24% of respondents would prefer a much less tolerant attitude.

Compared to average figures, women, (25.4%), young people between 15-24, (31.3%), respondents with basic education (26%), respondents with high incomes (33.7%), those living in Zemgale, a southern region (39.9%), and people living in rural areas (28.6%) would most like to see an increase of tolerance towards homosexuals.

On the other hand people above the age of 55, (29.5%), Latvian noncitizens with moderate incomes (26.9%) those living in Riga (26.5%) and in other national cities (27.9%) would like to see a much less tolerant social attitude towards homosexual people.

Produced by Marketing and Public Opinion Research Centre SKDS

Translated by Kaspars Zalitis (Mozaika) and Kristine Garina (Mozaika)

Obligatory reference to survey:

LGBT and their friends alliance “Mozaika”, Amnesty International and SKDS public opinion survey “Attitude towards sexual minorities. Latvia. December 2009”