Queering student mobility: Understanding LGBTQI students’ motivations for and challenges in international education

• In Event: Exploring the Study Abroad Experience

Proposal

Building from the premise that higher education is a human right (McCowan, 2012) and evidence that student mobility contributes to sustainable development (Campbell, Kelly-Weber, & Lavallee, 2021; Jamison & Madden, 2021), this research examines how LGBTQI individuals navigate their rights when pursuing higher education in the U.S. and returning to their country of origin. Notably, LGBTQI individuals are still denied rights in many countries including those where same-sex relations are illegal and certain forms of gender expression are criminalized; and there are many more communities where it is stigmatized (Human Rights Watch, n.d.). Emerging evidence shows that sexual orientation and gender expression are motivations for students to pursue education abroad (Corkum, 2015; Kirkegaard & Nat-George, 2016; Nelson, 2010; Patrick, 2014).

When LGBTQI international students come to the United States, they are studying at universities in a country that is more open to LGBTQI individuals (Pew Research Center, 2013) and where more domestic university students are identifying themselves as part of an LGBTQI population (Association of American Universities, 2018). While exact figures for the number of LGBTQI international students are not readily available, there is supporting evidence that the LGBTQI population is increasing among international students – a group which Wall (2016) broadly defines as “queer international students” (QIS). However, this does not always mean that the QIS population is visible and thriving at U.S. universities. At the same time, we recognize the complexity of the QIS community, understanding the intersectionality of identities and diversity of experiences for international students, despite being perceived as a monolithic group (Bhattar, 2019; Yao, George Mwangi, & Malaney Brown, 2019).

To better understand the population of QIS and their experiences, we pose the following research questions: (1) What does existing literature state about how queer international students navigate and experience their U.S. education? (2) What does existing literature help us to understand about queer international students’ pathways and unique considerations for this population? From a review of approximately 50 articles over the past decade, we created a theory of change and a theoretical framework to illuminate the motivations and challenges specific to the QIS international student population. We also aimed to highlight the gaps in the literature and the questions raised by existing studies.

Our initial review of the literature shows that much of it focuses on QIS at higher education institutions in the U.S., UK, Canada, and South Africa. Research points out that being out or identifying as part of the QIS community while overseas allows QIS the freedom to express their true identities (Corkum, 2015; Matsumunyane & Hlalele, 2022). For example, Choi (2022) found that gay men choose to move away and live apart from their families, and not share their identities with their families, in an effort to maintain a positive relationship with their loved ones. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the existing research focuses on the experiences of students while in the classroom or on campus (see Bhattar, 2019; Dos Santos 2022; Herridge, García, & Leong, 2019; Oba & Pope, 2013; Tarasi, 2016), as opposed to university programs – such as orientations or student support centers – or the policies in place to support these students.

Specifically, this project examines two periods of time that show to be important in the trajectory of a QIS: (1) motivations for and preparations to go abroad, and (2) preparing to graduate or return home. This period of crossing borders is particularly interesting in our conceptual framework as significant decisions are made during times of transition and migration, including about identities, assumptions, and hopes (Czaika, Bijak, & Prike, 2021). Orientation and planning for graduation are also times when significant student support and advising can shape pathways, and increasingly international student advisors are being trained in special topics related to QIS population (Hamilton & Giles, 2022; Stonewall, 2018; Valosik, 2015).

A robust section of literature exists discussing the challenges for QIS students in the period when they are finishing their studies and returning home. Literature points to the reality that many QIS students face a choice of hiding their queer identity and going back into the closet, or disclosing their identity and risking social rejection from family and friends, workplace discrimination, and social ostracization or othering (Oba & Pope, 2013; Valosik, 2015). In the case of China specifically, Choi (2022) and Liu, Chui, and Chung (2020) point out loss of “face,” or social status within Chinese society when family members come out, which can impact the family’s status within their community. In addition, Evans (2017) and Tarasai (2016) found that returning home also has social implications for QIS, with concerns about getting a job, marrying, adopting children, or having a family of their own. In more extreme cases, QIS who choose to be out in their home country could lead to violence and hate crimes, criminal charges, imprisonment, and even death (Patrick, 2014; Wall, 2016). With these concerns in mind, Evans (2017) found that QIS students choosing to go abroad understood that “embarking on this transitional journey meant they might not be able to return home” (p. 75). Taken together, this body of work shows that additional research and attention is needed to understand this difficult transition for QIS and provide supportive programs and policies.

As part of a larger research to examine LGBTQI international student mobility in higher education, this presentation looks at literature that informs the trajectories of QIS. As Renn noted in 2010, “Country-based and international comparative studies of LGBT issues in higher education present rich opportunities for expanding theoretical understanding of gender and sexuality, as well as for learning how to improve higher education institutions and systems in the United States” (p. 138). This research aims to advance our knowledge of QIS, contributing both to theoretical research related to international students and queer studies in education, as well as improved support and policies for international students.

Authors

• Anne C Campbell, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

• Jordyn Dezago

• Quintessence Marie Townsend, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey - Monterey, CA