73% of gay and bisexual men do not feel they belong to a community, according to an Orlander study

On the eve of Pride 2026, the Orlander organization has presented the results of its first Study on Emotional Well-being of gay and bisexual men. Based on the responses of 295 participants, the report draws a reality marked by an apparent contradiction: while body care occupies a priority place, deep relationships, emotional support, and a sense of belonging are clearly relegated. The overall well-being index obtained stands at 50 points out of 100.  

The greatest deficiency: feeling part of a community

The most striking data from the study is that 73% of respondents state that they do not feel part of a community where they truly fit in. This is the worst-rated dimension of the ten analyzed and reflects a problem that, according to the authors, goes beyond traditional loneliness: the lack of spaces to build authentic bonds.  

The research also shows that 57% do not have someone to talk to about how they feel without fear of being judged and that 54% lack a stable group of friends where they can be themselves.  

Very social lives, but few deep connections

The study suggests that social activity does not always translate into emotional connection. 32% claim to have people around, but few deep relationships, while 20% admit to feeling quite lonely and disconnected. Overall, more than half of the participants express some type of deficit in their personal relationships.  

When asked what prevents them from feeling better, almost half (49%) point to the difficulty of finding like-minded spaces and people, far above other factors such as lack of time (21%) or fear of rejection and social anxiety (15%).  

The body, the only dimension that passes

In contrast to difficulties on the emotional level, physical care constitutes the only clearly positive variable in the study. 61% dedicate time each week to caring for their body and only 39% present a low rating in this aspect, the best figure of all the dimensions analyzed.  

On the contrary, more than half admit not having enough tools to manage stress or anxiety (58%), and one out of two considers that they still carry emotional wounds from the past.  

Average well-being and scarce support references

The study's global index stands at 50 out of 100. Only 22% reach a level of well-being considered high, while 29% show low levels and almost half remain in an intermediate range.  

Furthermore, 59% admit they don't even know what type of help would be most useful to improve their emotional well-being. Among those who do identify a specific need, the preferred option is group workshops and community spaces.  

A snapshot with methodological limits

The authors recall that the report is not intended to be representative of the entire LGTBIQ+ collective in Spain. The sample is made up of people who voluntarily responded to the Orlander Emotional Well-being Test between January and May 2026, so the results describe only the experience of those who participated. Even so, they consider that it offers a relevant image of little-studied needs in terms of emotional health and community belonging within the collective.