Educators are consciously developing capacity to support LGBTQ Students’ Safe Study Abroad experiences. Sexual orientation and gender identity are essential topics throughout the program selection, pre-departure, on-site orientation, program delivery, and re-entry process. Late last week I inquired about resources supporting LGBTQ students on an international education list-serve. The expression of interest in receiving more content and developing better resources was extraordinary.

I’ve compiled many of the resources that were shared with me below, but I’d be absolutely thrilled if additional resources, helpful articles, and tips showed up in the comments section. This is clearly an area where social change and current news radically impact travelers’ experience of safety and security.

NAFSA’s Rainbow SIG (Special Interest Group) offers advice and links for US LGBTQ Students preparing to study abroad, including:

• LGBT Perspectives and Study Abroad Orientations 
• A Question List for Returning LGBT Students

The US State Department’s Students Abroad Site includes special information for

• LGBT Student Travelers and the State Department has an additional, recently updated site for
• LGBT Travelers Broadly

A student at the University of South Florida wrote a 34-page LGBT Student Guide for Education Abroad. It includes numerous global, regional, and country-specific resources and pieces of advice.

The following two institution-specific webpages stood out for their considerable lists of resources and links for their students:

• Colby College’s Comprehensive Diversity and Study Abroad Page 
• Columbia University’s LGBTQ Guide to Studying Abroad

Please share any additional resources in the comments section below. International educators are clearly hungry for resources that will help them support all students’ abroad experiences. Many, many thanks to the individuals who responded to my inquiry on SECUSS-L.

*I am currently compiling resources supporting safe international experiences for female travelers as well. I’ll share those resources later this week. – EH