LGBT Students

“I wasn’t openly LGBTQ+ in Uganda because there really was no opportunity to, or no need to engage in behavior that makes my identity obvious. Knowing that homosexuality is still illegal and highly frowned upon put me on edge a few times when it was brought up in conversations with locals, but nobody outed me or did anything that made me feel unsafe. I never felt like I couldn’t be me, but I did make more conservative clothing and behavior choices than I typically do.” – Uganda (multiple locations) participant

“Ghana is a very conservative, religious country so I felt like I was suppressing myself a lot.” – Ghana (multiple locations) participant

“I felt accepted in the community I was a part of.  There was no reason for me to be afraid or hide who I was.” – South Africa (Cape Town) participant

“I was nervous to go to China as a LGBT student but was relieved to see that the country appears to be fairly accepting.” – China (Beijing) participant

“While it was clear my sexuality was something I could not be open about most of the time, being a woman meant that I was specifically targeted almost daily. It is definitely an added burden to the experience, and other women and female-bodied people should go in knowing this. It helped for me to not take it personally and ignore the harassment most of the time. Towards the end of my time abroad, I had embraced the overt staring culture, and it did not bother me when people stared at me – as I was staring back. While I found it wise to not flaunt my personal identity, there were opportunities to discuss gender, sexuality, and marriage. In these conversations, the people around me surprised me more than once with nuance and perspectives that helped me understand myself and the culture. I would encourage you to talk to people with an open heart and ears.” – India (Varanasi) participant

“While I never quite knew how people felt towards me, the general feeling of safety I had in Japan made me feel safe from the kinds of violence that are more typical in the US. There are fewer organizations dedicated to serving the needs of LBGT people in Japan than the US. If you are someone who likes to rely on support groups, you may have do more searching.” – Japan (Kyoto) participant

“I am a queer Latina, but both of these aspects of my identity are not immediately obvious in my physical appearance. So, my identity only came up as a novelty in conversation, which was for the most part amusing. Korea has been a culturally and ideologically homogeneous place for a very long time, and despite the rapid modernization there are still some taboos and stigmas in place that might seem insensitive to UW-Madison students.”  – South Korea (Seoul) participant

“Being LGBT in a not super LGBT-friendly country was something I worried about a little bit. Luckily, I never feared any type of violence. Going to the Seoul Pride parade was one of my favorite parts of the experience. There are way more queer-identifying Korean people than you might think.” – South Korea (Seoul) participant

“Being gay in Thailand is not frowned upon, although one should be prepared to be the butt of some (affectionate) jokes from locals. Offense isn’t the intent, it’s simply that nobody is safe from some light honey-roasting in Thai culture. Thailand is generally very accepting of LGBT individuals, although less so in extremely rural areas. I recommend reading up on LGBT+ politics and culture in Thailand, as the perception of trans people especially, while more visible than in the States, is a bit different.” – Thailand (Bangkok) participant

“Luckily, Bangkok is very, very open about LGBT people. I loved that. I would highly recommend Thailand as a place for LGBT individuals to study abroad. Such kind, nice, and accepting people.” – Thailand (multiple locations) participant

“I felt comfortable as a gay man in Denmark, which is a very socially-progressive country.  The overall political climate of Denmark, especially Copenhagen, is more left-leaning than much of America, which was reassuring. Copenhagen has a great LGBTQ scene. Don’t be afraid to be a part of it!” – Denmark (Copenhagen) participant

“Leeds had a strong LGBT community, and I joined an LGBT organization on campus. I made most of my friends and had great connections with those people, based on our shared experiences. There are a lot of gender-neutral bathroom options around campus which I appreciated.” – England (Leeds) participant

“It allowed me to explore my identity in a much more opportune and welcoming location, especially after coming out as part of the LGBT community just months before my departure.” – England (London) participant

“I was more careful about my identity and not revealing it, both to locals in my host country and other students on the program. Be smart and be safe, but if possible don’t let outside factors stop you from being who you are.” – England (London) participant

“I did feel very isolated because I didn’t meet any other LGBTQ+ people while I was abroad. Part of this is France’s culture around ‘communities’. It sees dividing people into communities as a form of discrimination, so it is much more difficult to find people who are like you. You could try to find LGBTQ+ spaces on your own, but there is always a safety risk with that (especially when you don’t know how that community operates in another country).” – France (Aix-en-Provence) participant

“My identity was accepted in my host country, so I did not struggle with it at all. I felt right at home and supported. As a bisexual woman, the scariest part of my identity abroad was being a woman. I ran into no obstacles with my sexuality but being a woman is difficult anywhere in the world, in France it is no different.” – France (Aix-en-Provence) participant

“If anything, my identity was able to thrive in Paris through this program. I met so many wonderful LGBTQIA+ individuals who helped me be myself for the first time in my life, and I really came into my own. I’m nothing short of grateful and blessed for this program. SciencesPo and le Marais have so many services for LGBTQIA+ individuals, so be sure to utilize them if you have any need whatsoever.” – France (Paris) participant

“Being a bisexual Jewish woman honestly felt impossible at times. I met some incredibly closed-minded (and some INCREDIBLY open-minded) people who had the power to shape my experience. I would say ere on the side of caution when revealing all aspects of yourself while abroad. Figure out who you can trust with your identity and go from there.” – France (Tours) participant

“Being a bisexual woman in a foreign country was a bit nerve-wracking simply because I didn’t know how local people would react to my LGBT identity. I also have anxiety, depression, and PTSD and so some days were more difficult to handle than others because I didn’t have access to therapy and many of the friends I made abroad didn’t know I was experiencing those feelings. I would recommend being open and honest if you’re struggling. Once I did so, I found that I wasn’t the only one who had been experiencing those kinds of issues and was able to connect with people and get the necessary support. As far as being LGBT, if you visit a place that is not as open to your identity, remember that such a bias is not a reflection on you, but on the people around you and it does not make your identity strange or shameful.” – Greece (Athens) participant

“My bisexual identity really did not affect my experience other than making me feel more supported, because I hadn’t told many people at home yet. Ireland is a very welcoming place to LGBTQ individuals, so don’t be afraid to be who you are! That said, do take the normal precautions to have close friends that support you and ask for help/support/advice if you need it.” – Ireland (Galway) participant

“Madrid is very open to LGBTQ+ identities. Spain was one of the earliest countries to legalize gay marriage, and the people, especially the youths, are very accepting. Check out the neighborhood called Chueca.” – Spain (Madrid) participant

“Madrid was very welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, and it made me truly feel at home–more so than Madison. As a gay male, I enjoyed feeling accepted when I walked down the street holding hands with a man, and no one seemed to look at us strangely. Please make sure that you always know your surroundings, and that you stay vigilant because although being gay is widely accepted in Madrid, there will always be people who are homophobic.” – Spain (Madrid) participant

“Sweden is a very accepting country overall, and my sexual identity didn’t bring up any issues whatsoever. Seek out resources and/or groups on campus if you’d like. But be yourself to the extent you feel comfortable. If someone doesn’t accept you for who you are, they don’t deserve your attention and friendship in the first place.” – Sweden (Umea) participant

“I felt my lesbian and masculine-of-center identities were less understood or acceptable in some of the places we stayed, but I didn’t experience any outright hostility. I was nervous to share my identity with my classmates because we were required to share rooms with people of the same gender, but everyone was very accepting. I would advise future participants to be careful which parts of their identity they disclose when living for extended periods in close quarters with people who may not understand or accept them. My experience was positive but it could have easily turned sour with a different set of people.” – Mexico (Guadalajara) participant

“Being a queer person, I think I wanted to learn more about the experiences of other LGBTQ people who live in the communities we visited.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everybody is there to learn and your experience and questions are valuable and deserving of respect.” – Nicaragua (multiple locations) participant

“Being a more androgynous-looking woman, I did find that life on the streets was a lot easier for me.  I rarely (if at all) got catcalled or yelled at just because I’m very tall and do not fall within the traditional Peruvian standards of beauty. That being said, in my household I did have a fair amount of problems with my host mother and my gender expression. I’m fairly confident with my identity and I don’t usually let little things bother me like my host mom making uncomfortable comments towards me. But for someone who is not as confident with their identity, I would recommend living with exchange students instead of a host family.  Also keep in mind that we attend a very forward-thinking university here in Madison where homophobia and discrimination are not tolerated. The PUCP is a Catholic university.  Homophobia and discrimination are very prevalent on that campus.”  – Peru (Lima) participant

“Washington D.C. is a very accepting and LGBT-friendly place, and I was able to meet a lot of like-minded people and find support and acceptance almost everywhere. I would highly recommend D.C. to other LGBT students who are interested in government and policy.” – USA (Washington D.C.) participant