Traveling abroad is an exciting but challenging adventure, no matter who you are. But teaching abroad as a LGBT person means traveling has some extra difficulties. Your adjustment to living abroad will include more than culture shock and a language barrier. You’ll have to deal with lots of questions—Will you face discrimination at work abroad? Is the country you’re traveling in safe for you to be out and proud? Who are you going to come out to? How will you handle PDA in a foreign country?
You’re going to find a place you can teach abroad that is accepting and welcoming to you!
It isn’t all bad though. LGBT rights have made leaps and bounds globally over the past decade. More and more countries have legalized same-sex marriage, which is awesome, but there’s still a long way to go. It can be frustrating to have to consider travel destination based on your sexuality, but we want to help make it a little easier for you. Read on to find a list of friendly places, programs, and organizations just for LGBT travelers who want to teach abroad!
LGBT-friendly English teaching jobs abroad by location
Germany
Germany has long been seen as one of the most LGBT friendly countries in the world. Although same-sex marriage wasn’t legalized until 2017, homosexuality has been legal in Germany since the 1960’s. Their laws regarding trans rights extend back to the 1980’s! Plus, there a lot of different teaching opportunities here like private language schools, private Tutoring, and English language summer camps. You’ll feel right at home with the welcoming culture here and can even participate in the world-famous Christopher Street Day, the gay pride march in Berlin each summer.
Argentina
Love language in Argentina is more of a public affair, so you don’t have to feel shy around these friendly people!
Two words: queer milongas—tango dance halls. In Argentina, you can learn the tango with fellow LGBT people and dance the night away! As the first South American country to legalize same-sex marriage (all the way back in 2010!), Argentina is a great choice for LGBT travelers. This country has one of the biggest markets for teaching abroad in all of South America, so there are plenty of opportunities as well! The people of Argentina tend to be more affectionate in general, so a bit of PDA will likely go unnoticed. Buenos Aires especially has tons of gay bars, cafes, and of course queer milongas. Plus, with their gender identity laws since 2012, Argentina is one of the most transgender friendly countries for awesome LGBT teach abroad programs.
Canada
Canadians aren’t just super polite; they’re also super accepting! Gay marriage has been legal here since 2005, making it one of the first countries to legalize. As if that wasn’t enough, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, once made an appearance at a pride event, proudly carrying a transgender flag. Though English is widely spoken here, there are tons of students and immigrants for you to teach! Canada is an ideal place for LGBT-friendly English teaching jobs abroad. You’ll feel totally welcome here, eh!
Spain
Spain is known for its nightlife, so go out and get your dance on!
Do you dream of suntanning on a gorgeous beach, surrounded by other queer people? With gay beaches and clubs and festivals galore, Spain is a wonderful option for teaching abroad as a LGBT person. In addition to private language schools, private tutoring, and summer camps, Spain also offers government sponsored language programs, which are a great option for LGBT teachers. Largely considered to be one of the most progressive countries in Europe, Spain legalized gay marriage in 2005. It has a number of big cities, such as Barcelona, Ibiza, and Gran Canaria, that boast a LGBT friendly environment. In fact, Madrid hosts Worldpride, the largest pride event in the world.
Iceland
In 2010, gay marriage was legalized in Iceland with a completely unanimous vote and passed with flying (gay ;) ) colors. It helped that just a year before, they made global history by electing the first openly LGBT head of government, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir. Because English is being taught earlier and earlier in Iceland, most teaching English jobs there are for high school level and above. Iceland has a great history with LGBT rights, so you can feel super safe while traveling here. There’s even a dedicated LGBT tour company called Pink Iceland.
You may want to avoid countries that haven’t accepted the LGBT community.
But…
While there are many other countries where you can safely travel abroad as an LGBT travelers, it’s important to remember that there are some countries that are extra unfriendly towards the LGBT community. It’s unfair and just plain stinks, but you’ll probably want to avoid places like China, Russia, the Middle East, and North and Central Africa if you want to be comfortably out during your time teaching abroad.
Types of jobs to consider
When it comes to LGBT teachers abroad, it helps to be selective about not just destination, but also type of teaching job. Some types of teaching jobs are better than others. With that in mind, here are some types of teaching jobs that have serious benefits for LGBT teachers.
1. Teaching English online
This option is perfect because it’s so flexible! You can teach English online from the comfort of your own home. And for awesome adventure-hungry travelers like you, “home” can be anywhere! You can choose an LGBT-friendly location and teach English online from Italy or even Australia. Where there’s a wifi-connection, there’s a way.
2. Working with university students
Try your hand at teaching university students for a more inclusive environment.
There are tons of teaching opportunities that include working with university students abroad. This is a great for LGBT teach abroad programs, because universities tend to be more progressive. The inclusive environment will help you to feel at ease not hiding your identity. And you’ll have the chance to make some super cool friends!
3. TEFL internships
TEFL programs are awesome, but they can last up to a year! That’s a long time to be with a program or in a country that you discover isn’t as LGBT friendly as you might hope. TEFL internships, on the other hand, are typically more short term, allowing you to test the waters! Plus, you’ll still get lots of support to make sure you have a great experience.
4. Government programs
Government programs for teaching abroad are another option for LGBT teachers. Because these programs are government sponsored, you’ll be less likely to face discrimination. Some of the best of these programs are with France, Spain, and Japan, all LGBT friendly countries. Plus, they provide placement and salary. That’s a hard offer to beat!
5 organizations that support LGBTIQ teaching abroad
1. Greenheart Travel
Greenheart has options for TEFL, volunteering, working, and teaching English abroad. Their have locations all over Asia, Europe, and even a few in South America. This non-profit organization goes beyond travel, though! They have a huge focus on the environment (#woke) and are inclusive toward queer people well. You’ll find tons of LGBT-friendly English teaching jobs abroad with Greenheart.
2. International TEFL Academy
International TEFL Academy is a large, established company, which means they can provide lots of support! They have awesome resources for the LGBT community abroad on their website. Their blog posts dive into more complicated issues, like whether to come out to your peers or homestay family when abroad. This company has TEFL training and placement, all in one! It’s great support with a package deal. Plus, they’ve got destinations to almost anywhere in the world, including lots of LGBT friendly countries.
3. CISabroad
Despite having “CIS” in the title, this organization is super friendly towards the LGBT community. They’ll place you in a great teaching internship in a variety of locations, including LGBT friendly countries like Australia, England, France, Italy, Scotland, and Spain. They also have locations in Asia and South America. CIS Abroad’s large size doesn’t keep them from gearing resources towards the LGBT community. They even have a handy list of programs especially recommended for those LGBT travelers out there!
4. French Higher Education’s Teaching Assistant Program
This government sponsored program offers you a position at a public school in France, teaching English for seven months! The average salary is around $800 per month, with allowances for the higher cost of living in France. Because it’s government sponsored and the French government is supportive of LGBT rights, you’ll have plenty of assistance abroad as a queer person. And if you teach in Paris, you can make it the city of LGBT love!
5. CIEE
CIEE is a popular organization for study abroad, but they do more than just study abroad! They’ve got many different categories of programs, one of which is teaching abroad! This organization is super friendly towards the LGBT community. For example, their director in Amsterdam is openly gay and runs a “Queer Life and Activism” program for study-abroad high school students. CIEE offers tons of locations for teaching abroad, including one in Spain, one of our LGBT friendly destinations!
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There are tons of LGBT teaching opportunities abroad!
Find the friendliest community to teach abroad in and go for it!
Teaching abroad as a LGBT person can feel scary at first. And it’s easy to feel alone when you’re traveling abroad, especially when you’re part of a minority group. But you aren’t alone! You can find like-minded people anywhere you go! And these amazing countries, programs, and organizations will make your trip even better.
So take a deep breath and go for it! There are so many opportunities for awesome LGBT teachers like yourself. The world isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful experience teaching abroad. If you take precautions and keep your head up, you can teach abroad as an LGBT traveler with confidence.
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