Healthcare, Education, and Employment: Where the Internet Can Overcome Inequality

For LGBTQ+ communities, the path to opportunity is often obstructed by structural inequality. Healthcare, education, and employment are both the pillars of social and economic mobility and the place where the LGBTQ+ community continues to face some of the most persistent and harmful disparities. In the real world, LGBTQ+ patients are refused care, students are bullied or erased from curricula, and jobseekers are penalized for simply being who they are.

Against this landscape, polling data from our recent ctrl+alt+lgbt report demonstrates how critical digital access is for more equitable access to healthcare, education, and employment. Online, LGBTQ+ people can find affirming providers, access skills and education on their own terms, and seek out employers that value inclusion. The internet, when accessible and equitably structured, becomes a critical bridge across these barriers.

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Healthcare: Digital Access to Life-Saving Information

The internet plays a critical role in how LGBTQ+ people navigate a healthcare system that has historically failed to meet their needs. Eighty-seven percent of LGBTQ+ adults say the internet is important for searching for information about their health, and nearly half, 47%, say it is very important. For transgender respondents, this need is even more urgent. Ninety-two percent say the internet is important for health research, with 66% saying it is very important.

In 2024, 70% of transgender adults reported using the internet to find LGBTQ+ affirming providers. This year, that number has surged to 93%. Use of telehealth services has also grown significantly, from 61% in 2024 to 81% in 2025. These gains reflect the growing centrality of the internet in transgender people’s pursuit of safe, affirming, and accessible care. This level of reliance remains much higher than it is for the general public.

Education & Employment: Accessing Opportunities

The internet is essential to educational access for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those seeking to learn in affirming or self-paced environments. Seventy-four percent of LGBTQ+ adults report that the internet is important for accessing online courses, learning platforms, or other skill development resources, with 37% saying it is very important. Among transgender respondents, those numbers rise even further to 79% and 55%, respectively. LGBTQ+ individuals are not just participants but leaders in digital learning adoption, often driven by a lack of affirming educational options and the need for accessible, self-directed skill building.

In the workplace, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face discrimination, limited access to inclusive employers, and gaps in advancement opportunities. Online tools help close that gap. Sixty-two percent of LGBTQ+ adults say the internet is important for finding LGBTQ+ specific or friendly job opportunities, a figure that jumps to 75% among transgender respondents, with nearly half (49%) describing it as very important.

You can further explore these and other findings in our full 2025 report: ctrl+alt+lgbt: Digital Access, Usage, and Experiences of the LGBTQ+ Community.