Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered Issues

Being Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered Abroad

The experience of studying and living abroad challenges many facets of our identities. For many students, it will be the first experience of being the ‘other’. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, whose experience at home may always be one of ‘otherness’, the experience abroad may offer new freedoms and/or additional challenges. Whatever the case, an understanding of LGBT identity and life in your host country will be an important step in your pre-departure preparations.

There were several people on my program that were gay, so we were able to support each other in that aspect. A Chilean friend of mine once warned me that the way my North American friends and I hugged, people would probably think we were lesbians. I told him I didn’t care what they thought and that didn’t bother him at all. My own rules were that I would never hit on a Chilean woman without being hit on first. My advice is to be yourself and think of your safety at all times.

--Laura Crossley, OfSA Peer Adviser 1999-2000

Before You Go

(adapted from NAFSA LesBiGay Special Interest Group resources and the University of Guelph)

Before you go, it is important to reflect on the culturally based ideas and definitions of sexual identity and consider carefully how your identity as a LGBT person may affect your relationships with host country nationals, your cultural adjustment and your overall study abroad experience. It is important to be aware that cultures vary in terms of what is considered appropriate behavior when interacting with someone from another society. Cultures also vary in terms of how sexual identities are defined and understood.

Part of your pre-departure preparations should include reflecting on the larger context of your LGBT identity while abroad. What role as a visitor do you, or should you, have in the host culture? Does your right to be LGBT in your home country conflict with your host country's religious or cultural values and traditions? How will you reconcile your human rights with the cultural values of your host society? Are there safety considerations that you should be aware of? Refer to the resources listed below and consider the following:

Culture and Identity

Cultures vary in terms of what is considered appropriate behavior and how sexual identities are defined and understood. Learn as much as possible before you leave about the culture-specific norms of friendship and dating, styles of behavior and general attitudes. Behavioral signals (such as eye contact, a smile, touching) may lead us astray in a foreign culture. For example, in several Middle Eastern countries hand-holding among males is a custom of special friendship and respect and does not necessarily imply homosexuality or a gay identity. While LGBT people are part of the social fabric throughout the world, the very notion of such identities as they are defined in North America may not exist in your host country. As these issues are complex and vary widely throughout the world, you may want to contact (through e-mail, etc.) other LGBT people from the host country to ask them specific questions. For more information on this topic, consult the following book, available in the UIowa Main Library: Same Sex, Different Cultures: Exploring Gay and Lesbian Lives. Gilbert Herdt. Westview Press, 1998.

Support

Obtain country-specific information on the support systems (meeting places, organizations, etc.) available in your host country. Are these appropriate for you? Do you visit similar places in your home community?

Legal aspects

Familiarize yourself with the laws of your host country. In some countries, where sexual orientation can be a basis for persecution under the law, personal safety considerations may require you to hide your sexual identity. Inform yourself about country-specific laws on age of consent, traveling with print or other materials on sexual orientation, etc. If necessary, are you willing to hide your sexual identity? After finding out about the laws of the host country, would you re-consider your options?

Being OUT

If you are “out” in your home country, reflect on what it means to leave behind a support system of friends and family. Being LGBT abroad has been described by some as a second coming out. How will you re-establish your identity overseas?

Homestays/Housing

Often programs place students in home-stay or housing situations so that they may be more immersed in the local host culture. It is important that all students are aware of and consider the implication of being identified as LGBT in the host-culture and how coming out might affect the host-family relationship. Are housing arrangements sensitive to the needs of LGBT students?

Program Specific Information

While the study abroad office in your home country may be inclusive of LGBT perspectives, the in-country staff and faculty may represent another office and culture that will present a different climate. Depending on this climate, you may need to look outside of the office for support related to sexual identity issues or LGBT community information. Ask your program provider.

Relationships/Health

Before you leave the US, we encourage you to learn as much as possible about the culture-specific norms of friendship and dating for relationships between people of any sexual orientation. Inform yourself of important safe sex practices, and access to LGBT sexual health advice (see Health and Travel section below).

While You're Abroad

While you’re abroad, you will certainly realize that attitudes and tolerance toward LGBT issues vary from country to country. LGBT students may find that their sexual identity takes on different meaning or significance within the host culture. In some situations, your identity as a US citizen may be a greater influence on your interaction with host country nationals than your sexual identity. The benefits of the study abroad experience remain the same, however, whatever your identity. A sojourn abroad is a time of personal growth and discovery. Many transformations in personal development and self awareness can occur, prompted by the fact that the restrictions of the home culture have been removed. Enjoy the experience and learn from every situation!

Resources

The Office for Study Abroad Resource Room (28 IC) maintains a list of travel tips for LGBT students which may help in your pre-departure planning. The Resource Room also has FREE copies of Let’s Go Gay Europe, a guide to planning and traveling from the editors of the Let’s Go series of guidebooks. In addition to these, you may consult the web links below, search the catalogs of the UI libraries, as well as the LGBT section of local bookstores, such as Prairie Lights.