7 Resources for LGBTQ+ Folks Ready to Move Abroad
So you want to move abroad…. now what?
Most exciting time for a future expat: the moment you realize that moving abroad is totally possible. After all, nine million Americans alone are living abroad as expats and immigrants.
Most terrifying time for a future expat: the very next moment when you think… ok, so … now what? How do I figure out where to move? How to move there? When to move there? And most importantly…. where do I even start?
And if you’re queer or trans, we also have an added layer of complexity around our safety, legality, social acceptance and finding community that our cis-het counterparts don’t have to consider. And you have to figure that all out without a ton of queer resources, either. It can require a lot of grassroots research to figure this stuff out.
Three main criteria to get started with your move
The key to figuring out where to move abroad is to establish the answers to three main criteria:
Step 1: Preferred countries
What countries do you think you want to move to?Step 2: LGBTQ+ safety
Where do your preferred countries rank in terms of queer safety, legality and social acceptance?Step 3: Residency visa
Do those preferred countries offer a visa that applies to your profession or financial situation?
Key resources for international relocation for LGBTQ+ folks
The rest of this article will help you with step 2, understanding global safety as a queer person moving abroad. This article doesn’t include resources like moving companies, real estate agents, and those specific details. Instead, these resources help you to contextualize how LGBTQ+-friendly the society is, and how safe you are based on the fact that you are queer or trans. There are a growing number of resources that provide different lenses into how safe the local LGBTQ+ community feels in each country around the world.
1. Asher + Lyric’s LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index
This comprehensive index is the result of 350+ hours of research by a husband and wife duo Asher + Lyric Fergusson. These terrific allies researched a set of criteria around LGBTQ+ rights, and rank each country according to those criteria. Additionally, they offer a "Global Trans Rights Index'' specifically ranking trans safety worldwide.
How to use these indices: Do not get entirely caught up in the rankings. Whether a country is number 4 or number 35 might not have a major affect on your own queer expat experience. Instead, look at the countries you are interested in and see not only where they rank on the list, but what criteria they do or don’t fill, and try to imagine how the lack of support in that area might affect your life there.
2. Equaldex
This equality index is a collaborative knowledge base for the LGBTQ+ community. Equaldex aims to provide a comprehensive and global view of LGBTQ+ rights by crowdsourcing information on relevant laws. In addition to the crowdsourcing aspect, Equaldex does an exclelent job visualizing data so that you can really understand various data sets in a way that makes sense.
How to use this resource: Equaldex allows you to filter by subject matter, whether that’s same-sex marriage, discrimiation laws, or even Intersex Infant Surgery. Really use this site by exploring all different issues in your countries of interest to understand their political, legal and social environments.
3. Everywhere is Queer (map + app)
Everywhere is Queer (EIQ) was founded by queer activist Charlie Sprinkman on a hunch that there were way more queer and queer friendly businesses out there than we realized. The result has been an organically growing (exploding) map of over 13,000 businesses that are either queer-friendly or queer-owned around the world.
How to use this resource: EIQ can help you see the world through an interesting paradigm. The density of retailers and businesses listed may indicate the societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ life in each town /city worldwide (or just not have gotten as popular over there yet). More importantly, use this to find community and safe spaces while you settle in to your new home abroad!
4. Travel.State.Gov LGBTQI+ Page
Stay updated with information from the US State Department regarding international issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, specifically tailored for LGBTQ+ Americans abroad.
How to use this resource: This section of the website provides context for many nations around the world as is a quick and accurate view of queer safety abroad. Travel warnings can at least inform you of new developments in LGBTQ+ safety worldwide.
5. IGLTA - International LGBTQ+ Travel Association
Founded in 1983, IGLTA is a global network of LGBTQ+ welcoming tourism businesses. With free travel resources, the website promotes equal and safe travel for LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide, catering to both expats and tourists.
How to use this resource: queer-friendly travel destinations aren’t always friendly for local LGBTQ+ folks, but this is a good way to both shortcut an undersatnding of LGBTQ+ acceptance for your expatriation, and also a great place to start planning your first trip to a country as a visitor and possible expat.
6. UCLA Report: Global Acceptance Index
This report by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute presents the Global Acceptance Index, measuring the social acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in 175 countries.
How to use this resource: This is good information that provides another cross-referencing lens through which to understand where your chosen country sits within the context of global LGBTQ+ safety for locals and expats alike.
7. Queer Expats Worldwide Facebook Group
Managed by the Rainbow Relocation Team, this community connects past, current, and future LGBTQ+ expats, providing a supportive space for shared experiences.
Remember, your dream is valid, and with the right resources, you can turn it into a fulfilling reality!
