PRE-DEPARTURE ADVISING
**********************************************************************
NAFSA
Conference 2001
Same
Sex –Different Cultures: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues Abroad
Philadelphia,
PA 5/29/01
Handout
prepared by: Eero Jesurun, CIEE
**********************************************************************
Helping
to Understand GLBT Student Issues in Latin America and the Caribbean:
1) Sexuality
and Gender Stereotypes:
- What are gender
relations in the host culture?
- What is considered
typical male and female social behavior in the host culture?
- What makes the “coming
out” process different in many Latin American countries?
- What is the social role
of machismo and marianismo in the
host culture?
- What is the social
perception of gays and lesbians? How are they socially defined?
- What roles do transgendered people play in the host culture? For
example, in Brazil the social role and definition of travesti
(not to be confused with “transvestite”) is different from U.S. cultural
norms.
- What is the difference
between sexuality and sensuality in the host culture?
2) Law and
Local Attitudes: “Legal but not Legal?”
- Are there “public
decency” laws? Or “public indecency” laws?
- Are there laws related
to sex with minors? What is the cut-off age for minors?
- Are there “vagrancy”
laws?
- Does the law require
having “proper documentation” at all times?
- What is the police
attitude towards the local GLBT community?
- Does the law apply the
same to “upper class” and “working class” gays?
- Does the law apply the
same in urban areas (cities) as in rural, in-country areas?
- Are there divorce laws?
For example, Chile does not have a divorce law and this impacts social
relations and perceptions.
3) Citizenship
and GLBT Perception: Color, Gender and Nationality of Locals
- Could the GLBT student
be perceived as a local and not as an “American”?
- Could the GLBT
student’s skin color create a perception that the student is a local?
- Could the GLBT
student’s dress style and/or jewelry create a perception of being a local?
- Could the GLBT
student’s hairstyle and hair color create a perception that s/he is a
local?
- Could the GLBT
student’s language fluency create a perception that student is a local?
- What is the police
attitude towards locals, Americans, or other nationalities?
- What is the police
attitude towards GLBT “tourists” who are visiting the country?