Singaporeans' views on gays and lesbians have become slightly more positive over a five-year period, a survey by a research team at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has found.

A survey of nearly 1,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents was conducted in 2005, and then again in 2010.

In 2010, 64.5 per cent of those surveyed held negative attitudes, down from the 68.6 per cent who expressed it in the 2005 survey.

Another 25.3 per cent displayed positive attitudes

towards gays and lesbians, up from 22.9 per cent in 2005. Those who remained neutral however also went up from 8.5 per cent in 2005 to 14.7 per cent in 2010.

The survey also found that respondents who had higher interpersonal contact with gay and lesbian individuals or watched more films and television shows with gay or lesbian characters were also likely to express more positive attitudes.