With securing equal rights and acquiring social acceptance being the biggest issue for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in India, one third of them are meeting people for dating or friendship digitally, either through dating apps or through community specific dating apps, says a new survey.

While 18 per cent said they use dating apps like Tinder and OKCupid, 16 per cent said they use community specific dating and networking apps like Grindr, showed the survey by YouGov, an Internet-based market research and data analytics firm.

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The research showed that though the community is in pursuit of love, they are battling the problem of loving, marrying or parenting a child with the person they love with 31 per cent saying this is an issue.

For 39 per cent of those surveyed, the biggest issue was acquiring social acceptance with those in the northern parts of the country struggling the most.

At present, close to half of these people (47 per cent) admitted to being in a relationship and one in seven (14 per cent) are looking to be in one.

Surprisingly, the married LGBTQ members are more likely to use dating apps than the single ones, the survey said.

In fact, the most active users of community specific dating apps are married and identify as bisexuals, with a quarter of them (25 per cent) saying they use these apps to meet people.

“Social networks and dating apps are great avenues for the LGBTQ+ community looking for love. These platforms provide acceptance and the option of anonymity, especially for the ones who have not come out of the closet yet,” Deepa Bhatia, General Manager, YouGov India, said in a statement.

Younger people are more likely to use these apps to connect with people as compared to the millennials, the study said.