LGBTQ+ Students

One of the greatest joys of studying abroad is to witness and experience the cultural, political, and economic structures that shape the social climate of a particular country or region that is different than your own. These experiences, while often positive, can also contribute to bouts of culture shock. For students who identify as LGBTQ+, researching and learning about the sociocultural norms and attitudes towards your sexual or gender identity can help prepare you ahead of time to help reduce certain negative impacts of culture shock. Below is a comprehensive collection of resources from the LGBTQ+ community to help you stay informed and prepare, as well as shed light on some personal experiences.

Travel Resources

NAFSA’s Rainbow Special Interest Group (Rainbow SIG)

• Scholarships, resources, and newsletters

Spartacus Gay Travel Index

• Includes a wide variety of news, blogs, and country-specific information for LGBTQ+ travelers

Transrespect v. Transphobia Worldwide (TvT)

• TvT is an organization that dedicates itself to gathering the expertise of trans activists from around the world, providing comparative qualitative-quantitive research on 190 countries

GlobalGayz

• Travel and culture website focused on LGBT-Gay life globally, including in-person stories, archived news reports, and photos.
• Easily search for country-specific content!

GoAbroad.com

• Meaningful Travel Tips and Tales - LGBTQ+ Travelers' Perspectives - A Guide

Governmental Travel Resources

• United States Department of State - LGBTI Traveler Information
• Transportation Security Association (TSA) - Information for transgender passengers

National Center for Transgender Equality

International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association

• IGLTA is an association of tourism businesses that welcome the LGBTQ+ community
• Check out the hundreds of personal travel and business blogs from 80+ countries

General Blog Posts

• The Matador Network - Includes questions to ask yourself when preparing to travel abroad
• StudyAbroad.com - Includes a great beginning guide with questions to ask and information to seek when planning for study abroad
• GoOverseas.com - 9 major life lessons

International Social Justice Resources

OutRight Action International 
ILGA World

Affiliate Resources and Scholarships

CET

• Country-specific resources and Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships

CIEE

• Guide to sexual and gender expression abroad

IES

• Country-specific diversity resources

ISA

• Diversity Scholarship

ISEP

• Community Scholarship

Semester at Sea

• Handbook on Diversity and Inclusion

Student Perspectives

Many of our partner organizations operate student-run blogging programs! If you are interested in hearing from LGBTQ+ study/intern abroad alumni, the following blog posts may assist in addressing concerns and getting you excited for your own study abroad experience!

Arcadia

• Navigating LGTBQ+ Identity Abroad
• Student Insights on LGBTQ+ Life in New Zealand 
• LGBTQ+ Leadership: My Journey into the Bright Future of Young LGBTQ+ People in the Workforce 
• In which I discuss the little things… 
• LGBT: Athens Pride 2015 
• LGBT+ History Month: The rainbow in February’s grey skies

CAPA

• Dublin Pride, the LGBTQ Community & Studying Abroad in Ireland
• What It Was Like to Study Abroad in the LGBTQ+ Capital of Australia

CEA

• Three Reasons Paris is Great for LGBTQ Students

CIEE

• Queer Identity in Korea
• A weekend in Rotterdam: Finding queer family

Global Experiences

• Finding Your LGBTQ+ Community Abroad & Celebrating Pride

IES

• The LGBTQ+ Study Abroad Student Experience Personal Blog Directory
  • 6 Students Share Their LGBTQ+ Study Abroad Experience
  • Finding an LGBTQ+ Community Abroad: Alum of the Month Neal McKinney
  • Gaining Independence Abroad: Alum of the Month Max Freeman
  • Coming Out While Studying Abroad: Alum of the Month Steve Streich
  • Student Voices – Examining Identity Within the Study Abroad Experience
  • Student Voices – A Queer Student’s Perspective in Morocco
  • World of Difference Alumni Profile – Samekh Harris Reed
  • World of Difference Alumni Profile – Marlowe Padilla
  • Marching to the Beat of Social Justice: Thoughts on Global Citizenship from John Luke Hawkins

IFSA 

• Posts and news tagged LGBTQ+
  • What life is like as an LGBTQ+ student at the University of Sussex
  • Misinterpreting “Know the climate of your host country”
  • Somewhere in the rainbow: Celebrating pride in Wellington
  • Everywhere is a classroom: Learning through internships abroad
  • Seeing through a different lens: The benefits of study abroad as an LGBTQ student
  • Does toxic masculinity exist in London?
  • Some things to keep in mind when being queer in India
  • A new kind of pride: Being LGBTQIA+ in India
  • On nightlife, drag, and identity expression in Buenos Aires

ISA 

• Diversity Abroad: Tips for LGBT Students Abroad – Insights from my Studies in Paris
• Out and About: The Different Experiences of LGBT+ Abroad

ISEP

• Somewhere Over the Rainbow Conference 2019: Empowering the LGBTQ+ Community in International Education

SAI 

• 5 Things to know about LGBTQIA+ Culture in Italy

SIT Programs focused on Sexuality and Gender Research
Argentina

• Memory and Social Activism through the Arts (Summer Only)
• Social Movements and Human Rights (Semester Only)

Chile

• Social Justice and Human Rights (Semester Only)
• Comparative Education and Social Change (Semester Only)
• Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development (Semester Only)

Nepal

• Borders, Identity, and Community Resilience (Semester Only)

Netherlands

• Virtual Internship in Sexuality, Gender & Non Government Organizations (Summer Only)
• International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender (Semester Only)

Rwanda

• Gender Politics and Women’s Rights (Summer Only)

Campus Resources