Almost Half of LGBTQ+ Americans Have an Online Community, Study Finds

If you’re caught in the scroll, are you sure you’re not gay?About half of LGBTQ+ Americans say that they are part of an online community, a percentage much higher than our straight and cisgender counterparts, according to new data released by the Pew Research Center based on a survey conducted earlier this year by the Pew-Knight Initiative.According to the survey, 49% of LGBTQ+ Americans say that they have some sort of digital community, compared to just 35% of non-LGBTQ+ Americans. For the purposes of their research, Pew asked people whether they felt “part of a community online,” described as “people connecting with others online, such as by joining or feeling part of a group or doing things together.”“This could happen in places like social media, online discussion forums, by emailing or messaging with a group, or in video games online,” the question noted.Pew also found that the internet brings a lot of value to queer people’s lives. While only about a quarter of straight and cisgender people said the internet brings either a “great deal” or “quite a bit” of value to their lives, 42% of LGBTQ+ respondents said the same.And, almost three-quarters of LGBTQ+ Americans who have a “most-visited” online community say that they go there in order to feel acceptance. Beyond finding acceptance, LGBTQ+ respondents said that they go online to share their thoughts (83%), get support (74%), obtain advice (80%) and meet new people (58%). In each of these categories, LGBTQ+ respondents agreed at a higher percentage with the statement than non-LGBTQ+ people. The various benefits that LGBTQ+ people find in online communities, and the immense value found there, has also led them to say, at a much higher rate than straight and cisgender people, that online relationships can be just as meaningful as in-person ones. Six in ten LGBTQ+ people agreed with that statement, compared to three in ten non-LGBTQ+ people.Communities frequented by LGBTQ+ people most