Lesbian, gay and bisexual online daters report positive experiences – but also harassment
Relatively large shares of lesbian, gay or bisexual online daters – that is, those who have ever used an online dating site or app – report that they have experienced at least one of the forms of harassment measured in this survey on those sites and apps (69%, compared with 52% of their straight counterparts):
- More than half of LGB online daters (56%) say they have received a sexually explicit message or image they did not ask for, compared with 32% of straight online daters who say the same.
- Roughly half of LGB online daters (48%) say that someone has continued to contact them after they said they weren't interested, compared with 35% of their straight counterparts.
- About four-in-ten LGB online daters (41%) say someone has called them an offensive name on one of these sites or apps – 16 percentage points higher than the share of straight online daters (25%) who say the same. And while a smaller share of LGB online daters (17%) say that someone on a dating site or app has threatened to physically harm them, this is roughly twice the share of straight online daters who say this has happened to them (7%).
- LGB adults who have ever online dated are also more likely than straight online daters to think harassment and bullying is a common problem on dating sites and apps, but majorities of both groups say this is the case (70% vs. 61%).
- Those who have personally experienced at least one of these harassing behaviors on dating sites and apps are particularly likely to say harassment is a common problem. This is true among both LGB and straight adults who have used online dating.
- LGB online daters almost universally think it's common for people to receive sexually explicit messages or images they did not ask for (90% say it's at least somewhat common). A slightly lower, but still high, share of straight online daters say the same (80%). This view is common even among online daters who report that they have never received an unasked-for explicit image or message themselves: 82% of LGB and 73% of straight online daters who have not experienced this themselves say it's very or somewhat common on dating sites and apps.
It's important to note that while we refer to these behaviors as “harassment,” the survey questions themselves did not use this word. A 2017 survey of U.S. adults found that many people who had experienced a number of harassing behaviors online, even severe ones such as physical threats, did not think of their experiences as “online harassment,” and only a minority said that they stopped using an online platform because of it.
Most LGB online daters say their online dating experience was positive and think these sites and apps are safe
About two-thirds (65%) of people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual and have used online dating sites or apps say their experience was very or somewhat positive. By contrast, 56% of straight online daters say their personal experiences were positive overall.
Most LGB users rank their experiences positively, even those who have experienced any form of harassment on these sites (61%), including receiving unsolicited explicit images or messages or someone continuing to contact them after they said they weren't interested.
A large majority of LGB online daters (78%) feel that dating sites and apps are a very or somewhat safe way to meet people, somewhat higher than the share of straight online daters who say the same (69%).
Strikingly, even among LGB and straight online daters who have experienced at least one of the asked-about forms of harassment on dating sites and apps, high shares say that online dating is safe for the most part. Three-quarters of LGB people who have experienced at least one of the harassing behaviors on dating sites or apps say it's a very or somewhat safe way to meet someone, and 64% of straight online daters who have been harassed agree.
Note: Here are the questions asked for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.
