This report was coordinated by Coming Out and Sphere Foundation and was originally published on the Coming Out website.
About the Report
Our IGLYO Member Coming Out and their partner Sphere Foundation have just published their annual Report on the Life of LGBTQI People in Russia in 2025, based on responses from over 6,000 people across the country. This is the most comprehensive annual dataset on the situation of LGBT+ people in Russia, and this year's findings mark a significant threshold.
Key findings
The data document a structural shift: repression in Russia has moved from punishing what people do to punishing who they are. In 2025, the first criminal convictions under "LGBT extremism" charges were handed down - including a 2.5-year prison sentence for Telegram comments that simply indicated the defendant's sexual orientation.
Beyond the legal escalation, the report captures the cumulative toll on daily life:
- 94% of respondents practice self-censorship around their identity (up 6 pp year-on-year).
- 41% experienced some form of hate-motivated violence.
- 35% avoided medical care due to fear of discrimination.
- 27% live at or below the poverty line; among transgender respondents, 39%.
- 63% of those who have emigrated do not consider returning - up from 55% in 2024.
- Only 0.8% of those who experienced violence reported it to the police.
The full report is available here. It includes data on healthcare, employment, housing, parental rights, law enforcement interactions, censorship, and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
