How to keep LGBTQ+ students safe when studying abroad

In today’s interconnected world, education often transcends borders. Study-abroad programmes and transnational curricula are becoming more popular with students. Yet, for those in the LGBTQ+ community, they can pose challenges. Within the landscape of global education lies a complex interplay of legislative changes, cultural norms and personal safety concerns for this demographic that must be navigated with care.

Make it personal

As part of global education programmes, students can end up travelling to less tolerant countries. Educational institutions should carefully consider a student’s personal risk profile, including gender identity, sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, among other crucial aspects, to make informed travel decisions and put the appropriate risk mitigation measures in place.

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Our recent Risk Radar report showed that those in the higher education sector considered gender identity and sexual orientation as the primary factors impacting a traveller’s personal risk profile, ahead of past travel experience, medical history and race and ethnicity.

While this recognition isn’t new, what remains a challenge is securely collecting sensitive information. We can see this in our research, where only 39 per cent of respondents integrate personal profiles into their travel risk assessments.

Navigating legislative and cultural boundaries

Some destinations lack a protective framework for students’ rights and even disclosing personal information can pose significant risks. Legislative changes across the globe further compound the challenges. Recent advisories, like Canada’s caution to its LGBTQ+ citizens about potential repercussions of US laws on their travels, underscore the necessity of understanding the legal terrain these students are navigating.

Yet, legislation is just one aspect – the cultural landscape can diverge starkly. Take Brazil, where same-sex marriage is legal but intolerance lingers, or Singapore, where recent legal changes clash with the traditional conservatism still prevalent in society. These nuances demand meticulous planning and highlight the importance of detailed travel security briefings to address specific concerns.

Prepare for the unexpected

Put a rapid response service in place for emergencies and provide access to 24/7/365 medical and security assistance for students.

Consider a scenario where a student is receiving treatment for gender transition. Being denied access to their medication could be a very serious situation. In many countries, this kind of treatment may be supported or subsidised by the national health service, but in others, accessing these services could be much more difficult. Trans or non-binary students may be afraid to be open about their gender identity or unsure about travelling with a passport that states a different gender than their gender identification – this is even true of some US states.

Train faculty as well as students

LGBTQ+ pre-deployment safety training provides comprehensive guidance not only to students but also faculty. Training fosters a collective understanding of the available support systems and how to access them. While covering fundamental principles of safe travel and situational awareness, the training should primarily focus on addressing the specific risks encountered by LGBTQ+ travellers. Ideally, training should be delivered in conjunction with any review of the university’s travel risk policies.

Beyond the individual traveller, open up and nurture communication channels between the institution and parents, guardians and families to help mitigate travel risks.

By its very nature, student travel overseas into potentially problematic countries is a cause for concern. Add to this the vulnerability of an LGBTQ+ student navigating their gender identity or sexual orientation, at a time when they want to be concentrating on their academic experience. 

Ultimately, ensuring a positive educational experience for LGBTQ+ students isn’t just a moral obligation. It’s an investment in the future global workforce and the responsible path for shaping a more inclusive and empowered generation of leaders and professionals.

Raquel Recuero is regional security manager for the APAC region at Healix.

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