Nearly Half of LGBTQ Americans Join Online Communities
A Pew Research Center survey finds LGBTQ adults are more likely than non-LGBTQ adults to belong to online communities and to value them.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in LGBTQ+
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Do you think online communities mostly help people feel accepted or mostly harm them?
A Pew Research Center survey found that about 49% of LGBTQ Americans say they are part of an online community, compared with about 35% of non-LGBTQ Americans. Many said such communities bring them value and a sense of acceptance.
Why it matters
The findings show online spaces play a significant role in how LGBTQ adults find acceptance and connection. Harassment and feeling unwelcome were cited as reasons for leaving these communities, highlighting both their benefits and their risks.
About 59% of LGBTQ Americans say online relationships can be as meaningful as in-person ones, compared with 31% of non-LGBTQ Americans. Among LGBTQ adults who left an online community, 57% cited harassment as a reason, versus 41% of non-LGBTQ adults.
The players
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American fact tank based in Washington, D.C., known for public opinion polling and social science research.
The details
The Pew Research Center survey asked U.S. adults about their participation in online communities and their experiences in them. LGBTQ adults reported higher rates of belonging and greater value from these spaces than non-LGBTQ adults.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Pew Research Center publishes survey findings on LGBTQ online communities.
Culture Shift
The findings extend Pew Research Center's long-running tracking of Americans' internet and social media use into the specific question of how LGBTQ adults use online spaces for belonging. They suggest online communities have become a meaningful part of LGBTQ social life, shaped by both acceptance and harassment.
For LGBTQ adults, online communities can provide a place to find acceptance and connection that may be harder to access offline. Readers who participate in these spaces may notice harassment is a common reason people leave them.
The takeaway
Online communities can offer LGBTQ adults meaningful connection and acceptance, but harassment remains a major reason people step away. Anyone building or joining these spaces may benefit from attention to inclusion and safety.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more LGBTQ+ stories on how identity shapes community life.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pew Research Center.
Live Poll
Do you think online communities mostly help people feel accepted or mostly harm them?
