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LGBTQIA+
Studying abroad is an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ students to view their sexual identity from a different cultural perspective. Review the information on this page for important considerations prior to your experience.
Initial Planning
Before you travel abroad, you should be familiar with the laws, customs, and attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ community for your host country. Similar expressions or behaviors may have vastly different meanings and consequences abroad. Ask your program director if they can connect you with past LGBTQIA+ participants who were on your program or in your host destination to learn about their experience.
LGBTQIA+ Identities In Context
What LGBTQIA+ means as a social identity varies depending on the country, and in fact, some other cultures use language to describe non-heteronormative sexualities and genders that does not always translate into English. Your host nation may be more tolerant of LGBTQIA+ individuals than the United States, and talk of sexualities may be welcomed.In other cultures, open talk about non-heteronormative sexual life is forbidden, and certain behaviors may even be sanctionable. Some countries criminalize homosexuality, and open hostility toward members of this population may be considered to be acceptable behavior. For information regarding such differences, please review the resources listed below.
Things to Consider
Review these tips and questions as you plan your experience.
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What are the laws regarding homosexuality and gender identity in my host country? If there are safety issues for the LGBTQ+ community, will I alter my behavior?
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How LGBTQ+-friendly are the host institutions? Will I be staying with a host family who may or may not be accepting if I come out?
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Will I be publicly “out” in my host country? To my program’s director? My classmates? People I meet in-country?
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Is it important to me to participate in LGBTQ+ activities and events while abroad?
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Are there resources for LGBTQ+ students in my host country or at my place of study?
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Does the information on my legal documentation match my gender identity (e.g. my passport or housing placement while abroad)?
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Is the language of my host culture gendered? If I identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, or non-binary, will it be difficult for me to adapt?
Davidson Student Testimonials
Read through these reflections from past LGBTQIA+ individuals who studied abroad.
"In retrospect, it is through effort and really putting myself out there that I made friends with many Bolivians and found a niche in the LGBTQ community there. These more intimate encounters added another dynamic, meaningful layer to my experience. Only through the relationships was I able to more fully understand what it’s like to be queer in Bolivia. I also learned a lot about myself as well as what it means to be queer in the United States."
Read more: Bolivia
"Even though I could not consistently rely on my host families for acceptance... one of my most powerful memories abroad remains coming out to my Nepali host mom and being accepted with open arms."
Read more: Chile, Jordan, Nepal
"Deciding to study abroad in the biggest city in the world (population-wise) worked to my advantage. Shanghai is a city filled with people from all walks of life, including many people from the GLBTQ community. While the GLBTQ community is not as visible as those in New York, Sydney, or London, social gathering places do exist."
Read more: China
Resources
Review these useful resources for details about LGBTQIA+ individuals abroad and how you can prepare yourself for your experience.