'Without support, you are just alone': relational food insecurity among a sample of gay men in India.

Abstract

Food insecurity, defined as limited or uncertain access to safe and nutritious food, is a critical yet underexplored issue among gay men in India. This qualitative study, informed by hermeneutic phenomenology, explored how food insecurity is experienced and understood by a small sample of self-identifying gay men living in India. In-depth interviews were conducted online with five participants from different regions of the country. Thematic analysis generated three interconnected themes: 'security beyond survival'; 'coping, compromising, enduring'; and 'without support, you are just alone'. Findings suggest that food insecurity is shaped by overlapping experiences of discrimination, social isolation, economic precarity, and family relationships. These insights contribute to a growing body of work on sexuality and gender minorities' marginalisation and highlight the need for future research and support systems that recognise the complex and relational nature of food insecurity.