Can Someone Really Teach English Abroad As A LGBTQ Teacher?

16th October 2021

“It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              – Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir       

Right now, there are many LGBT-friendly English teaching jobs abroad. The ONLY thing that you need to do is - search according to your destination or place of interest. Just for a clear understanding, LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. While some people also use the Q for questioning.

Unfortunately, members of the LGBTQ+ community need to make few added considerations about which countries will welcome them tenderly and which will not. Will you face inequity at work in a foreign country? We have collected every information about teaching English abroad as an LGBTQ+ community member.

It is clearly apparent that over the past decade, LGBT rights have made leaps and bounds worldwide. Now, more and more countries have legally recognized same-sex marriage but there’s still a long way to go, isn’t it?

Are you an LGBT teacher thinking of teaching English overseas?

If yes, then consider these questions -
 

• Is this the correct country for me?
• Is this the right school?
• Can I make a community?
• Can I fit in with the culture?

With appropriate planning and grounding, you can have great experiences working abroad. We have gathered all the essential information for you! Keep on reading.

LGBT-friendly English Teaching Jobs Abroad by Location

There are a lot of ESL/EFL teaching job opportunities abroad for them and a lot of countries offer some good packages for them. Few good countries to work with are as follows:
 

• Spain
• Japan
• Germany
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Columbia

The list is completely based on the laws, traditions, and cultural attitudes within the countries.

1. Spain

Spain is truly good at taking care of and providing good ESL/EFL teaching opportunities to LGBTQ teachers. Marriage for a same-sex couple or Adoption both is officially permitted here. In Spain, it is prohibited to differentiate on the basis of gender.

The Madrid city hosts pride parades in Europe and Spain, and in Barcelona where they have gay districts where several LGBTQ businesses are situated. In Spain, ESL/EFL teachers can also find paid volunteer opportunities in classrooms. For this, a TEFL certification is highly recommended.
 

2. Colombia

Colombia is another country that is being considered one of the most welcoming countries in South America for LGBTQ+ people. In Colombia, licensed ESL/EFL teachers can find work in private schools with benefits like accommodation or an accommodation grant, return airfare, medical insurance, paid vacation time, and contract completion bonuses.

Here, marriage for same-sex couples, nationwide anti-discrimination laws to protect the LGBTQ+ people and legally changing gender without the need for a psychiatric or physical examination, etc. exist!

3. Germany

Often cited as one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world, Germany also has openly gay politicians in high-ranking positions. Key cities like Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg host pride parades yearly as well as LGBT film festivals.

Cologne is particularly renowned due to the number of festivals, events, sports leagues, and business networks there that connect members of the LGBTQ+ community.

4. Taiwan

Taiwan is known as being among the most progressive areas towards LGBTQ+ rights in Asia. Marriage for same-sex couples is officially permitted and bigotry in the workplace based on sexual orientation with gender identity is also against the law.

Every year, the Taiwan Pride Parade draws visitors from all over Asia to celebrate freely. Taiwan welcomes newly qualified teachers (NQT) as well as licensed educators to teach at their private schools.

5. Japan

Japan is also considered quite progressive towards LGBTQ+ rights. Even though protections are not nationwide, some cities such as Tokyo have forbidden inequity based on sexual orientation and gender distinctiveness.

There are also gay politicians and music artists however, it is not yet legal for same-sex couples to marry but the majority of the population do support marriage equality.

6. Argentina

Argentina is the first South American country to authorize same-sex marriage all the way back in 2010. This country has one of the biggest markets for teaching English abroad in all of South America, thus there are a lot of ESL/EFL teaching opportunities as well.

Moreover, with their gender identity laws since 2012, Argentina is one of the most LGBTQ+ community friendly countries.

7. Canada

In Canada, same-sex marriage has been officially permitted here since 2005. Furthermore, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, once made an appearance at a pride event, proudly carrying a transgender flag. Canada is a perfect place for LGBT-friendly English teaching jobs overseas.

8. Iceland

Since 2010, gay marriage was legalized in Iceland. Iceland has a great history with LGBT rights therefore you will feel super safe while travelling here. There’s even a fervent LGBT tour company called Pink Iceland.

Apart from these popular countries, Thailand has a flourishing LGBTQ+ community. Nevertheless, the tolerance is not reflected in the country’s regulations. Marriage for same-sex couples is not yet lawful and transgender people cannot officially change their gender.

But at the same time, Thailand hosts one of the leading transgender beauty contests in the world, and in its biggest cities, you’ll find several LGBTQ+ friendly hotels, bars, and resorts. Uruguay, France, Malta and Brazil are also LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations.

LGBT-friendly English Teaching Jobs Resources

Here's a list of top resources for LGBTQ+ teachers who teach English as a Foreign Language overseas.

Equaldex - It is an interactive map of the world. It presents an advanced view of the current status of different LGBTQ+ laws around the globe. This is a must-visit website before you book your ticket.

The Matador Network - It is a travel website. It has various articles on different topics with many of those related to LBGTQ+ travellers. From the most up-to-date on LBGTQ+ laws to the most LGBTQ-friendly destinations, it is a wonderful resource to keep up-to-date with LGBTQ+ issues around the globe.

IGTLA - The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association is one of the original online resources for LGBTQ+ explorers. It has information on LGBTQ+ welcoming tourism dealings all over the world. This is a must-visit website to find out which companies along with services that you should be using in your particular destination.

Travel Gay - It is recognized as “the world’s best gay travel guide”. It presents different reviews on hotels, bars, clubs and shops in cities all over the world. In addition, you can find recommendations for travel around. They also have a podcast with interviews from famous members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Out Traveler – A very unique and different online magazine, Out Traveler comprises news from all over the world as well as reviews of top destinations, hotels and travel ideas for the LGBTQ+ voyager. This is a great website to check out before you settle on where you want to live.

If you want, you can also teach English online from the comfort of your own home. Few organizations that support LGBTIQ teaching overseas are -
 

• Greenheart Travel
• International TEFL Academy
• CISabroad
• French Higher Education’s Teaching Assistant Program
• CIEE

Certainly at first, teaching English abroad as an LGBT person can feel frightening. There are a lot of ESL/EFL teaching opportunities for awesome LGBT teachers like you. All you need is a bachelor's degree with a 120-hour TEFL certificate.

Just take a deep breath and go for it!